Chennai: On the occasion of Periyar’s birth anniversary, leaders including Chief Minister Vijay and DMK leader Stalin paid floral tributes to his portrait. At the Secretariat, the Social Justice Day pledge was taken under the leadership of the Chief Minister.
Periyar’s 148th birth anniversary was celebrated yesterday. On this occasion, at an event held at the Chennai Secretariat, Chief Minister Vijay paid floral tributes to Periyar’s portrait. Later, under the leadership of the Chief Minister, Legislative Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar, Ministers, Chief Secretary Sai Kumar, government department secretaries, police and government officials, and employees took the Social Justice Day pledge.
On behalf of the government, Speaker Prabhakar, Ministers Anand, Adhav Arjuna, Venkataramanan, Rajmohan, Vanni Arasu, Maria Wilson, and Kumar paid floral tributes to the statue of Periyar on Chennai Anna Salai. Following this, DMK President Stalin, General Secretary Duraimurugan, Treasurer T.R. Balu, and Youth Wing Secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin paid their respects.
On behalf of the AIADMK, Speaker Tamilmagan Hussain, former Ministers Ponnaiyan and Jayakumar, among others, paid their respects. Members of the Dravidar Kazhagam, MDMK, Indian Communist Party, and Marxist Communist Party also paid their respects.
Leaders’ praise: Political leaders said in their congratulatory messages:
Chief Minister Vijay: On Periyar’s birthday, who sowed the seeds of progressive ideas rooted in self-respect, social justice, and rationalism in people’s minds, and who fought throughout his life to eradicate caste and religious discrimination and to restore the rights of the people, I pay tribute by remembering his revolutionary thoughts and principles.
DMK leader Stalin: A place without light is darkness. A society without questions is deeper darkness. Why? For what? How? As long as these questions exist, darkness will not approach us. Let the flame of rationalism lit by Periyar shine across generations.
AIADMK General Secretary Palaniswami: There is no superiority or inferiority by birth; a person must be respected as a human being. Let us resolve to always walk in the path of Periyar, who deeply embedded this social justice principle in Tamil Nadu’s political and social life. They said this.
Tamil Nadu Congress leader Manickam Tagore, PMK leader Anbumani, AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran, and ‘We The Leaders’ organization leader Annamalai, among others, have conveyed their greetings.