Leaders pay homage to Maran

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Defence Minister George Fernandez yesterday attended the funeral of former Union Minister Murasoli Maran, who died after a prolonged illness in Chennai on Sunday.

Maran, ideologue of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, was a nephew of DMK chief M. Karunanidhi. He was 69. He leaves behind his wife, two sons and a daughter.

He was Union Commerce minister before he fell ill in July last year. For some time, after treatment in Chennai's Apollo Hospital and at the All India Medical Institute in New Delhi, he was also in a hospital in Houston, US.

He was a Member of Parliament several times since 1967. A fungal heart infection was the cause of death.

After his death Sunday night, the body was first taken to his residence and then shifted to the residence of Karunanidhi in Gopalapuram. The body was kept for the public to pay their last respects.

Hundreds of leaders including the Governor of Tamil Nadu, Rama Mohan Rao, Vaiko who was allowed to come out of prison, for the purpose, superstar Rajnikant, Karnataka Chief Minister S. M. Krishna, Yerran Naidu of the TDP and Union ministers from Tamil Nadu including T. R. Baalu and Thirunavakassar as well as Congress leaders were among those who paid homage to the memory of Maran.