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A glass casket carrying body of Karunanidhi is seen during the funeral procession, in Chennai. Image Credit: AFP

Karunanidhi laid to rest at Marina after court battle; lakhs bid adieu

Muthuvel Karunanidhi, a doyen of Dravidian politics, was on Wednesday laid to rest on the Marina beachfront as a sea of humanity bid him a tearful farewell after an unsavoury courtroom battle his party won to secure for him the final resting place at the Chennai landmark.

The country's high and mighty descended on the city to pay their last respects to the "Thalaivar" (the leader), school dropout, who left an indelible imprint on the state's public life over decades through his literary, cinematic and political achievements.

The 94-year-old leader had breathed his last at a hospital here after fighting for life for 11 days.

A galaxy of leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, and his Kerala, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh counterparts Pinarayi Vijayan, K Chandrasekhar Rao and N Chandrababu Naidu were in attendance.

So were CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, his predecessor Prakash Karat, and former chief ministers of Kerala and Uttar Pradesh Oommen Chandy and Akilesh Yadav.

Karunanidhi was buried with full military honours with soldiers giving him a gun salute and buglars sounding the last post.

Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, Rahul Gandhi, union minister and the lone BJP Lok Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu Pon Radhakrishnan, Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad placed wreaths at the feet of the departed leader at the Marina.

Karunanidhi's son and heir apparent M K Stalin received the national flag wrapped around his father's body. Other family members including the leader's wife Rajathi Ammal, other sons and daughters showered flower petals at his feet.

Karunanidhi begins journey to finally rest at Marina

DMK President and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Wednesday began his final journey on a flower-decked military vehicle from Rajaji Hall where his body was lying in state since early in the morning.

The tri-colour covered body of the 94-year-old veteran politician was put on a military vehicle by military personnel shortly before 4 p.m.

Supporters take pictures as the vehicle carrying a glass casket with body of Karunanidhi approaches during the funeral procession, in Chennai. AFP

Karunanidhi's body will be interred in a sandalwood casket and lowered into the earth at Marina Beach.

As per Karunanidhi's wish, the wordings -- "The person who had worked without rest is resting here" -- was sculpted on the casket

2 killed in stampede outside Rajaji Hall 

Two persons were killed and 35 suffered minor injuries on Wednesday in a stampede outside the Rajaji Hall here as hundreds of thousands thronged for a final glimpse of DMK leader M. Karunanidhi, a hospital official said.

A supporter of DMK chief Karunanidhi is taken to hospital after a stampede in Chennai. AP

A senior official of the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital told IANS: "Two persons were brought dead to the hospital with injuries arising due to trampling. One is a woman, Shanbagam, while the other person is an unidentified male."

The dead woman was said to be 60 years old. 

The official added that another 35 persons were brought to the hospital with minor injuries. Some were dehydrated. They were given treatment.

"There has been heavy jostling and pushing and pulling in the crowd since morning," one man at the site said, explaining what led to the stampede.
The tragedy occurred shortly after DMK leader and Karunanidhi's son M.K. Stalin appealed for calm to the milling crowds which were getting restive at not being able to get close to the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's body.

 

Rahul pays homage to Karunanidhi

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday paid homage to DMK President M. Karunanidhi by laying a wreath on the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's body at the Rajaji Hall here.

Gandhi was accompanied by Tamil Nadu Congress chief S. Thirunavukkarasar.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi with M.K. Stalin after paying his last respects to Karunanidhi, at Rajaji Hall in Chennai. PTI

Karunanidhi's final journey to start at 4pm from Rajaji Hall

The final journey of the late DMK President M. Karunanidhi will start at 4pm (IST) from the Rajaji Hall where the body is lying in state for people to pay homage.

In a statement, the party said the vehicle carrying Karunanidhi's body will reach Anna Square via Wallajah Road covering a distance of less than 3 km.

The party has appealed to its cadres and general public to keep calm and maintain peace during the final journey.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays his last respects to DMK chief M Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall, in Chennai. PTI

DMK supporter get heads tonsured 


Vishwanathan Anand pays tribute

Former Chess World Champion Vishwanathan Anand pays tribute to Kalaingar on twitter

 


Rajinikanth pays last respects

Actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth paid his respects and consoled the family members of the DMK patriarch.

Rajinikanth had earlier asked the government to allow burial near Anna Samadhi, through a tweet.

Rajinikanth pays tributes to former Tamil Nadu chief Minister and DMK chief Karunanidhi. AP

"I very humbly request that the Tamil Nadu government make all efforts to lay to rest the late leader, the immensely respected Kalaignar, at Anna Samadhi. This will be the most appropriate way to show respect for the great man,” he said in the tweet.


Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Chief Minister K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam paid their last respects to DMK President M Karunanidhi on Wednesday.

Makkal Needhi Maiam President and actor Kamal Haasan pays his last respects to DMK chief M Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall, in Chennai. PTI

People from different walks of life -- leaders, actors, industrialists and others -- also paid homage to their departed leader, whose mortal remains have been kept at the Rajaji Hall.

Purohit also had a few words with Karunanidhi's son and DMK leader MK Stalin.

Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker P. Dhanapal, Minister for Fisheries D Jayakumar, Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha M Thambidurai and other party leaders also paid homage to Karunanidhi.

Lok Sabha mourns Karunanidhi's death, adjourns for the day

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday was adjourned for the day after paying tributes to the late DMK President M. Karunanidhi.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan read out an obituary reference and paid homage to the 94-year-old former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, who passed away on Tuesday at a hospital in Chennai. 

Parliamentarians observe silence during an obituary reference of DMK chief M Karunanidhi, during the Monsoon session of Lok Sabha, in New Delhi. PTI

Karunanidhi to be buried at Marina Beach

After an overnight drama, the DMK won a legal battle on wednesday when the Madras High Court allowed the burial of DMK President and five-time Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M. Karunanidhi at Marina Beach.

The High Court bench comprising of Acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh and Justice SS Sundar turned down the arguments of the state government against the burial of Karunanidhi's body at Marina Beach.

DMK leader and lawyer Kannadasan told reporters that the court also asked the government to make arrangements for the burial.

The party cadres and leaders assembled at Rajaji Hall, where Karunanidhi's body has been lying in state for public homage, erupted in joy on hearing the news.

An emotional MK Stalin, DMK's Working President and son of Karunanidhi broke down on hearing the news and so did top leaders including Duraimurugan, A.Raja and M. Kanimozhi, who is alos Karunanidhi's daughter.

MK Stalin breaks down after Madras High Court’s verdict to allow the burial of his father M Karunanidhi at Marina beach, in Chennai. PTI

Duraimurugan and A. Raja comforted Stalin and other family members including former Union Minister and Karunanidhi's grand nephew Dayanidhi Maran and Kanimozhi.

Earlier all the petitioners who had filed a case against the memorial for AIADMK's late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said they are withdrawing their petitions and the court dismissed their pleas.

The DMK wanted Karunanidhi to be interred near the seafront memorial of DMK founder and Karunanidhi's mentor C.N. Annadurai.

The DMK approached the Madras High Court on Tuesday night after the state government declined their request. The hearing went on till midnight when the court adjourned the case directing the state government and Chennai Corporation to file their affidavits on Wednesday.

The AIADMK government late on Tuesday rejected the request and asked the DMK to bury Karunanidhi on Sardar Patel Road which is home to memorials dedicated to Rajaji (C. Rajagopalachari) and K. Kamaraj.

The court asked the government counsel to explain the legal issues in allotting space at Marina Beach as mentioned in the statement issued by the government on Tuesday.

The DMK counsel argued that the government is citing minor issues for rejecting the party's request for space at Marina Beach for burying Karunanidhi.

The DMK said Karunanidhi is an ardent follower of party founder and Annadurai. Since AIADMK founder M.G. Ramachandran was also a follower of Annadurai he was buried near the latter's memorial.

According to DMK, the ideologies of late Congress leaders like Rajagopalachari and Kamaraj are different from that of what was followed by Dravidian leaders like Annadurai and Karunanidhi.

Hence it will not be appropriate to bury Karunanidhi at the site offered by the state government.

The DMK also argued that the Chennai Corporation has announced the Annadurai memorial Beach as a burial site.

 People throng to pay last respects to Karunanidhi

People queued up in large numbers early on Wednesday morning at Rajaji Hall in Chennai to pay their last respects to DMK president M Karunanidhi who died on Tuesday after prolonged illness.

DMK party workers during the funeral of Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall, in Chennai. PTI

 The chief minister of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, K Palaniswami, and his deputy O Panneerselvam, Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai, senior state ministers, AMMK leader and RK Nagar MLA TTV Dhinakaran, actors Rajinikanth Sivakarthikeyan among others paid homage to Karunanidhi.

 Speaking to reporters, Palaniswami said Karunanidhi's demise was a "big loss to Tamil Nadu".

 He extended his sympathies to Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) working president and Leader of Opposition, MK Stalin, Karunanidhi's family, and the DMK workers.

 Palaniswami and Panneerselvam had a brief conversation with Stalin during which they apparently extended their sympathies to him over the loss.

 Karunanidhi's body was earlier brought to the stately Rajaji Hall from his CIT Nagar residence for the public to pay homage to the former chief minister.

 The Indian tricolour was draped over the body of Karunanidhi. His relatives, including children Stalin, MK Selvam and Kanimozhi, were seen standing beside the mortal remains of the Dravidian stalwart.

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi among others are scheduled to pay homage later in the day to the leader, fondly addressed as Kalaignar (artiste).

 Grim-faced party leaders and MLAs were seen seated along the stairs of Rajaji Hall.

 Supporters and mourners started pouring in at Rajaji Hall early in the morning, with some of them raising slogans hailing their 'thalaivar' (leader).

 Chants of supporters seeking a space at the Marina beach for the burial of Karunanidhi could also be heard, especially during the visit of the AIADMK delegation.

 The DMK had late last night moved the Madras High Court against the government's refusal to its demand for space at the Marina for Karunanidhi citing certain court cases.

 The AIADMK government had offered to allot space at Sardar Patel Road, near the memorials of former chief ministers C Rajagopalachary and K Kamaraj.

 A high court bench is slated to delver its verdict on the matter on Wednesday.

 The 94-year-old leader breathed his last at the Kauvery Hospital in downtown Chennai at 6.10 pm IST on Tuesday after waging a grim battle for life for 11 days.  

Stalin writes emotional letter to Karunanidhi

A file picture of DMK chief M Karunanidhi with his son MK Stalin on his 63rd birthday in Chennai on March 1, 2015. PTI

"Can I call you Appa for one last time my leader," DMK leader M.K. Stalin penned an emotional letter to his departed father and party leader M. Karunanidhi on Wednesday.

Chief Minister for five times and leader of DMK party for 50 years, the 94-year-old Karunanidhi breathed his last here owing to age related ailments in a private hospital here.

Stalin in his letter said: "Rather than calling you as Appa, Appa, I have called you as Thalaivaray, Thalaivaray (my leader) more number of times. Can I call you as Appa once Thalaivaray."

Stalin asked his departed father Karunanidhi as to why he did not tell where he was going this time when his habit was always to inform his destination before starting out.

"Thirty three years back, you had said your grave should have the words... the person who had worked without rest is resting here. Have you departed with the satisfaction of having worked hard for the Tamil community," Stalin added.

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Supporters mourn as they arrive to pay their last respects to Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall in Chennai. Image Credit: PTI
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A Tri-colour is placed on the mortal remains of DMK chief M Karunanidhi, at Rajaji Hall in Chennai Image Credit: PTI
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi expresses his condolence at Rajaji Hall Image Credit: PTI
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Body of DMK chief M Karunanidhi carryout from ambulance after reached his Gopalapuram residence, in Chennai. Image Credit: PTI
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Supporters gather outside the hospital after the demise of Indian Tamil leader M. Karunanidhi Image Credit: REUTERS
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