He also announced that Jayalalithaa's Poes Garden residence here would be converted into a memorial.
In a step towards the reunion of the two warring camps of the AIADMK, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday ordered a commission of inquiry into late party Supremo J Jayalalithaa's sudden death fulfilling one of the two conditions set by the rebel faction led by O Panneerselvam for the merger. He also announced that Jayalalithaa's Poes Garden residence here would be converted into a memorial.
Palaniswami's announcements are expected to speed up the process for the merger of the two camps as the sidelined ruling AIADMK camp deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran is trying to thwart the moves to remove his family from the party and the government. A few days ago, Dinakaran held a massive rally at Mellur near Madurai in a show of strength with 20 MLAs extending their support.
To take forward the merger talks, Palaniswami made the announcement at the secretariat flanked by senior ministers Dindigul C Srinivasan and D Jayakumar. "A retired Madras High Court judge will head the inquiry commission. Name of the judge and terms of reference will be announced later," he said. When asked whether the probe was ordered to fulfil the demand of Panneerselvam, the CM said that the probe was ordered following the demands from a various section of people.
Terming the announcement as a victory for their fight for justice, former minister K Pandiarajan who is in the OPS camp, said that time has come to hold merger talks transparently. Jayalalithaa's niece J Deepa, however, opposed the move to convert her aunt's residence into a memorial. "It is not right on the part of the government to make an announcement to set up a memorial without consulting us. It is our ancestral property. We have a right claim it," she said, welcoming the probe into her aunt's death.
The 68-year-old former chief minister and AIADMK supremo died following a cardiac arrest on December 5 after being in the hospital for 75 days.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "J Jayalalithaa")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}