CHENNAI: J Deepak, a nephew of the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Thursday charged that the BJP top brass was behind the announcement on making the Poes Garden residence of Jayalalithaa as a government memorial and that he and her sister J Deepa were awaiting the State’s response to the notices sent to Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami, Chief Secretary and others in this regard.
Talking to Express, Deepak said “Making my aunt’s residence a memorial is primarily the wish of top brass of BJP and it is being executed by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. Also, he used this as a ploy for the merger of the two factions of the AIADMK.”
“There are instances where the government takes over a land for the purpose of building some bridge and some other use. But where is the public interest in making the residence of Jayalalithaa as a memorial. If at all, the house has to be made memorial, the compensation has to be paid from AIADMK party funds and not from the government exchequer – that is, from the public money,” Deepak added. He also said the family members of V K Sasikala were intimidating him and his sister Deepa not to enter the property of Jayalalithaa – particularly Poes garden residence.
Meanwhile, Deepa, as announced, sent a legal notice to the State government taking a strong exception to the announcement about the memorial. In the notice sent on August 22, a copy of which is available with Express, she urged the Chief Minister and others to restrain all government officials, more specifically officials of revenue and tourism departments, from visiting, altering, or putting up any structure, both temporary or permanent, in the property situated at Poes garden. “The government should restrain from issuing any press release in respect of the properties left over by late paternal aunt J Jayalalithaa. I sincerely hope that the rule of law will be followed in letter and spirit.”
The late Vedavalli @ Sandhya, my paternal grandmother during her lifetime purchased several properties. She expired in the year 1971 leaving behind her son Jayakumar and daughter J Jayalalithaa to succeed her estate. Thereafter, J Jayakumar married Vijayalakshmi and she (Deepa) and her brother Deepak were born to them. Thereafter, the entire family lived as a joint family in the family property, more specifically, Veda Nilayam in Poes garden.
“It is pertinent to mention at this juncture, that my father predeceased my aunt. Thus, it is crystal clear that being the son and daughter of J Jayakumar, I and my brother J Deepak are entitled to succeed to the last estate of J Jayalalithaa and hence, the property situated in Poes Garden lawfully belongs to me and my brother J Deepak.”