CHENNAI: The State government on Wednesday informed the Madras High Court that it was considering the court’s suggestion of converting a major portion of former Chief Minister J Jayalalitha’s residence into the official CM residence, and not as a memorial.
The court was hearing a plea filed by the Poes Garden Kasturi Estate House Owners’ Association challenging the government decision to convert the house into a memorial. According to the petitioners, the residence of the former CM, if converted into a memorial, will result in the entire locality getting crowded affecting the peaceful living of other residents.
Advocate General Vijay Narayan, in his submission to Justice Anand Venkatesh said, “It will become a tourist place for millions of people, and it would become just like when tourists flock the White House or Lincoln Home in the US, and Shakespeare’s birthplace in the UK.” Concurring with the submissions, the judge observed that the houses of several leaders have been converted into memorials, and this was not unusual.
However, the petitioners also said that the government was trying to acquire the property illegally, without conducting a proper survey with other residents, besides a traffic assessment report. Recording submissions made by both parties, the judge dismissed the plea observing that the very argument of the association about “crowd gathering affecting the peaceful living of other residents” cannot be accepted.