CHENNAI:
DMK and
AIADMK members may not have seen eye to eye in life, but death sometimes has the ability to smudge sharp lines. This was evident in the garlanded photos of former chief minister
J Jayalalithaa in street corners that are usually adorned by the rising sun – the DMK party symbol.
Allegiance to a particular party
did not come in the way as Chennai came as one to mourn
the death of the leader . While thousands thronged
Rajaji Bhavan
on Tuesday to catch a glimpse of
Jayalalithaa, her face beamed from walls, lampposts and pillars – even in localities that are dominated by DMK cadre.
“She was a true leader. A worthy opponent for our Kalaignar. She deserves all our respect,” said L Sarvanan, a DMK loyalist in Arumbakkam, who kept a photo of Jayalalithaa outside his house as people stopped to look.
Her photos were seen in public spaces in several DMK strongholds like Chepauk, Triplicane, Anna Nagar and Egmore. Several DMK party workers also joined
the funeral procession .
“It doesn’t matter which party we belong to. She was everyone’s leader when she died,” said S Manikandan, a DMK party worker who was among those who joined the crowd that had gathered to see the chief minister’s body being carried away.
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