Overview
- In the 131st Mann Ki Baat broadcast on February 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised J. Jayalalithaa’s welfare record, highlighting her focus on women and law and order.
- He said the very mention of “Amma” still brings a glow to faces in Tamil Nadu, citing the enduring public affection he observes during visits.
- Modi recalled personal ties with Jayalalithaa, noting her attendance at his 2002 and 2012 Gujarat swearing-ins and an invitation to a Pongal lunch in Chennai.
- He announced that on February 23 a C. Rajagopalachari statue will be unveiled in Rashtrapati Bhavan’s central courtyard, replacing a statue of Edwin Lutyens as part of an effort to shed colonial-era symbols.
- News outlets cast the address as politically significant, with the BJP allied to the AIADMK and seeking to unseat the DMK in state elections scheduled for April–May.