Sri MGR Year 101, 20th October, Saturday
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E.Palanisamy during Puratchi Thalaivar’s 100th year valedictory function announced that the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus will be named as “Puratchi Thalaivar Dr.MGR Perunthu Nilayam”.
The DMK chief Stalin was against such a move and he told to media persons that it is like a person naming someone else’s child and continued as his party DMK was instrumental in the construction of the bus terminus.
Image courtesy Indian Express
I was astonished as my house was near to Koyambedu, in those days when I was in 7th standard I came to know that the fruit market and bus stand will be shifted from Broadway to Koyambedu and father used to tell me that the traffic will be heavier and I should be careful in crossing the road. I still remember that. Unfortunately no ministers or ADMK party members objected to Stalin’s unauthenticated baseless allegation.
Later that day, the then Chennai Mayor Saidai Duraisamy countered Stalin’s statement with authenticated proof from the Government files.
Below is the reply of Saidai Duraisamy to Stalin.
The file size is 3 MB. Click the above image to enlarge.
And the report from the Government archives about MGR’s idea of shifting Fruit market and mofussil bus terminus to Koyambedu.
Click the above image to enlarge. File size is 3 MB.