CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday paid homage to social reformer and Dravidian movement icon, Periyar EV Ramasamy, on his 143rd birth anniversary. The State government observed it as Social Justice Day, and the chief minister administered an oath to government employees.
Paying rich tribute to the reformer, the chief minister said the rationalist sowed the seeds of social justice in the minds of the people. “I took the oath of social justice on such a glorious birth anniversary; so did the entire State. We will take the path you showed and establish an egalitarian society,” he tweeted.
Earlier in the day, Stalin paid floral tribute to the statue of Periyar at Anna Salai here; he was accompanied by his cabinet colleagues and MPs, TR Baalu and Kanimozhi. Later, he administered an oath to the officials and staff at the Secretariat, affirming that they would follow the social activist’s ideology based on social justice, self-respect, rationalism, and equality.
Likewise, on behalf of the AIADMK, former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, along with party functionaries, paid floral tribute to the portrait of Periyar at Anna Salai. MDMK General Secretary Vaiko garlanded a Periyar statue at the entrance of the party office. DMDK treasurer Premalatha Vijayakant paid floral tribute to the portrait of the leader at the party office.