Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa passed away at 11:30 pm on Monday after she suffered a cardiac arrest the day before, said Apollo Hospital. The funeral of Amma will be done at Marina Beach at 4.30 pm near her mentor MGR and Annadurai.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also visit Chennai today to pay homage to the leader. Her body, draped in the national flag, is kept at the city’s Rajaji Hall for the public to pay homage to their beloved leader.
The state government announced mourning with schools, offices and the state closing for official business on Tuesday. Her demise came as a big setback for her supporters who had been waiting for her to recover from her earlier illness and return to office.
The AIADMK chief suffered the cardiac arrest hours after her party told media that she has fully recovered and will be returning home soon.
Born in 1948, Jayalalithaa started her career as an actress in South Indian films. In 1982, she joined the AIADMK, which was founded by her mentor MG Ramachandran. She first became the chief minister of Tamil Nadu in 1991. She has ruled the state for over 15 years.
