BHUBANESWAR: Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik will attend the funeral of Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalitha who passed away at a Chennai hospital last night. Patnaik termed Jayalalitha's demise as a national loss and described her as a 'leader of masses'.
Earlier, Odisha Assembly condoled her death and the members observed silence as a mark of respect before the Speaker adjourned the house for the day. Moving the obituary motion on Jayalalithaa's death in the assembly, the chief minister said she was the 'Iron Lady' of Tamil Nadu.
Stating that her benevolent measures endeared her to one and all, Naveen said the people of Tamil Nadu affectionately called her 'Amma'. She enjoyed a huge mandate and was known for her administrative calibre and political wisdom, he said. "She steered the State on the path of progress and prosperity," he added.
"People of Odisha stand in solidarity with the people of Tamil Nadu in this hour of grief and bereavement," he said.
Speaker Niranjan Pujari, leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra and leader of the BJP legislature party KV Singhdeo also paid tributes to Jayalalitha.