Tamil Nadu Assembly Repeals Act to Convert Jayalalithaa’s Residence into Memorial

GG News Bureau
Chennai, 16th Feb. The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Thursday adopted a bill to repeal an Act passed in 2020, aimed at converting the Poes Garden residence of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa into a memorial.

The legislation in question, the Tamil Nadu Puratchi Thalaivi Dr J Jayalalithaa Memorial Foundation Act, 2020, was enacted to establish a foundation for the transformation of “Veda Nilayam,” the former AIADMK supremo’s residence, into a memorial.

However, following a legal twist, the Madras High Court invalidated the proceedings on November 24, 2021. The court ordered the keys to the late Chief Minister’s sprawling house to be handed over to her legal heir. Consequently, the keys were transferred to her niece J Deepa on December 11, 2021, who had filed the petition.

“The keys of the said building have been handed over to the writ petitioners as ordered by the High Court. Thus, the purpose for which the aforesaid Act was enacted no longer exists and the Act therefore became obsolete. Hence, the government has decided to repeal the said Act,” stated Tamil Development and Information & Publicity Minister M P Saminathan while moving the bill to repeal the Act.

The bill was passed by voice vote in the Assembly, marking the conclusion of this chapter in the legal and legislative journey surrounding Jayalalithaa’s residence.