Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today paid floral respects to a statue of freedom fighter Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar here today, to mark his 105th birth anniversary.

State Ministers, MPs, MLAs, AIADMK headquarters office-bearers and general public took part in large numbers when the Chief Minister paid respects to the leader's statue at Nandanam junction in the city.

She reached the statue at 10.45 am and paid floral tributes to the portrait of Muthuramalinga Thevar kept under the statue.

Meanwhile, her Cabinet colleagues were present at Pasumpon and paid homage at the leader's birthplace.

Thousands of followers of Muthuramalinga Thevar, including women and children, thronged the memorial at Pasumpon near Kamudhi. On behalf of the government and AIADMK, Ministers led by Finance Minister O Panneerselvam visited the memorial and placed a wreath on the 'samadhi.'

In Chennai, leaders of other political parties too paid homage to Thevar. Leaders of Congress, BJP and other parties visited the statue and offered tributes.

When the Chief Minister paid her tributes, AIADMK seniors and Ministers were present. The list includes the names of E Madhusudhanan, Thangamani, K V Ramalingam, M C Sampath, B Valarmathy, Edapadi Palanisamy, Senthil Balaji, MSM Anandan, TKM Chinnaiah, N R Sivapathy, Madhavaram Murthy, Dr V S Vijay, Mukkur Subramanyam, S Damodaran and Mohammed John among others.

Mayor Saidai Duraisamy, Deputy Mayor Benjamin, Whip Vaigaiselvan and higher officials of various government departments were also present.