As television reports that the Karnataka High Court had given Jayalalithaa bail changed to news flashes that bail had actually been denied, Amma’s supporters had ample opportunity to express their feelings in cinematic style.
Shots of men and women hysterically crying right after verdict were not hard to come by. Men tonsured their heads, women insisted they would only eat their food straight off the ground and the replacement chief minister, as well as his cabinet, were suitably abject.
AIADMK supporters (Strdel/AFP)
AIADMK supporters eat 'Mann soru' (rice spread on floor) 4 jjs release. A ritual that Tamils consider most powerful pic.twitter.com/V3i1MMghYj
— Shreesha Reddy (@shreeshareddy) October 5, 2014
*facepalm* "@karthickselvaa: Emotions of Tamil Nadu CM O Panneerselvam and other ministers while taking oath... pic.twitter.com/wVpJLp3wFT"
— Meenakshi Mahadevan (@m_meenakshi86) September 29, 2014
Tamil Nadu’s creative billboard-making community got into the act. Posters insisted that Amma is no less than god and banners asked Karnataka to keep the Kaveri river but return Jayalalithaa. One billboard even threatened to hold Kannadigas in Tamil Nadu hostage until Amma had been allowed to go back.
Translation: Keep Kaveri, but return our Amma to us!! pic.twitter.com/26a1UAJqYj
— Raghunath AS (@asraghunath) October 5, 2014
If you send her (Jaya) back today she'll be TN CM..if u keep her locked up for longer she'll become Karnataka CM :) pic.twitter.com/bJqGqOoBc3
— Karthick S (@karthickselvaa) October 2, 2014
Release Jaya or we will kidnap Kannadigas: AIADMK posters
Why such steps? Believe in our System, she'll be free soon pic.twitter.com/qIfP2Z3YoU
— गीतिका (@ggiittiikkaa) October 7, 2014
Tuesday was a day of swings for Jayalalithaa’s supporters and members of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. To begin with, there was rejoicing as news flashes suggested that the ex-CM had been given bail. All the celebratory paraphernalia came out: laddoos, halwa and general merriment.
Widespread pyrotechnics and jig-dancing outside Karnataka High Court in anticipation of Jayalalithaa's release.
— Ellen Barry (@EllenBarryNYT) October 7, 2014
Also, widespread distribution of laddoos.
— Ellen Barry (@EllenBarryNYT) October 7, 2014
I think those laddoos have been recalled.
— Ellen Barry (@EllenBarryNYT) October 7, 2014
But the mood quickly turned to depression, after it emerged that an AIADMK leader had emerged from the packed court with the wrong information. Laddoo baskets and firecrackers were returned to AIADMK offices everywhere, with the histrionics being turned back on.
J Jayalalithaa's bail plea rejected : People protest outside J Jayalalithaa's residence in Chennai pic.twitter.com/1raNECRZhc
— ANI (@ANI_news) October 7, 2014
With Jayalalithaa still in jail, anger at Karnataka and the potential to make news in Delhi with a Supreme Court bail application, you can be certain that at least the billboard makers won't be out of a job anytime soon.
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