PM Modi pays floral tribute to Jayalalithaa, consoles Sasikala

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], Dec. 6 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday paid floral tributes to late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, who died of a cardiac arrest last night. The Prime Minister, on reaching Chennai airport, boarded an IAF helicopter and landed at INS Adayar. The PM then reached Rajaji Hall where he paid tribute to the late leader. He also offered his condolences and blessings to Jayalalithaa's close aide Sasikala, members of her family and to Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam and others. President Pranab Mukherjee has also departed again from Delhi to pay tribute to Jayalalithaa, after the IAF plane carrying him returned to Delhi following a technical swag. Earlier, Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu also visited Rajaji Hall. Karnataka CM Siddaramiah, Odisha CM Naveen Pattnaik will be attending Jayalalithaa's funeral ceremony. Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu and Pon Radhakrishnan will also be attending her last rites. Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda will also be a part of the funeral ceremony. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi will also be leaving for Chennai to pay his last respects. The Centre has declared one-day mourning in view of the demise of Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa, whereas the state government has declared seven-day mourning. Jayalalithaa's last rites will be performed today at 4.30 p.m. at MGR Memorial, Marina beach. Jayalalithaa suffered a cardiac arrest on Sunday, after which she was admitted in city's Apollo Hospital. Her condition was grave and was kept on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) and other life support systems. A team from Delhi's AIIMS was rushed to Chennai for her treatment. (ANI)