Political leaders pay homage to Thevar at memorial; thousands descend on Pasumpon 

Police deployed 14 high-powered drones and 95 cameras at vantage points

Thousands of people and leaders of political parties paid homage at the ‘samadhi’ of Muthuramalinga Thevar at Pasumpon in Ramanathapuram district on Sunday, marking his 115th birth anniversary and 60th guru puja (the death anniversary).

DMK general secretary Duraimurugan, Ministers K.N. Nehru, I. Periyasamy, K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran, Thangam Thennarasu, K.R. Periakaruppan, R.S. Rajakannappan and Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, Ramanathapuram MP Nawaz Kani, MLAs and local body leaders paid homage. DMK youth wing secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin also visited the ‘samadhi’ and paid homage.

BJP State president K. Annamalai, senior leader H. Raja and MLA Nainar Nagendran visited the ‘samadhi’ and paid tributes. PMK leader G.K. Mani, MDMK general secretary Vaiko, Congress leader K.R. Ramasami, actor Karunas, AMMK leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran, late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s aide V.K. Sasikala and former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, among others, visited the ‘samadhi’.

Speaking to journalists, Mr. Duraimurugan recalled the sacrifices by Muthuramalinga Thevar for the most backward people.

Mr. Panneerselvam presented a silver armour for the Thevar statue.

Elaborate security arrangements were made en route. The police deployed 14 high-powered drones and 95 cameras at vantage points.

In Chennai, Governor R.N. Ravi paid floral tributes to a portrait of Muthuramalinga Thevar in the Raj Bhavan.