The story behind Jayalalithaa’s official residence `Veda Nilayam’ refusal entry to her niece Deepa is now coming out to suspect that it was Sasikala Natarajan mostly likely played decisive role in this regard. As Deepa closely resembles her aunt, Sasikala and her associated might be worried that if she cultivates close relations with their mentor (Jayalalithaa), she would likely to get a prominent place, pushing them away.
Though Deepa, Jayalalithaa brother Jayakumar’s daughter, was born at her aunty’s place, for almost two decades she could not get an opportunity to meet her, besides many determined efforts. Once, she even went on sitting just outside the house, for a week. Last evening, when Deepa went to Jayalalithaa’s memorial site on the Marina, many of her supporters who were assembled there to pay their respects suddenly in a shocking mood felt is `Amma returns back’ ?
Deepa, perhaps, had gone to the memorial last evening around 5.30 pm as she did not get to spend much time beside her aunt’s body before the burial. But at the memorial, she was met with awe by her aunt’s supporters, who swarmed around her, as if seeing an heir to their beloved leader. They turned emotional, when Deepa and a few of her family members walked in. Some women exclaiming, “You resemble amma, we see her in your face”.
As more people started walking behind Deepa in large numbers, Police, surprisingly were quick to whisk Deepa off the memorial site, chasing away the crowd. Even at police station too, a crowd gathered there too and tried to click Deepa’s pictures. They were shouting across the railings at the police asking why she was being kept there, and why they couldn’t meet her. The police then took Deepa into the station and sent her home when her car arrived.
Deepa had been kept at arm’s length all throughout the time that the former chief minister was in hospital. It is said that she waited for three days hoping to be allowed to see her ailing aunt but was told that security personnel had instructions from `high authorities’ not to let her in.
