Karunanidhi funeral LIVE Updates: DMK patriarch Karunanidhi was laid to rest at Marina Beach with full State honours on Wednesday as his family members and follower bid farewell. Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit, state minister D Jayakumar and Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan paid tribute to Karunanidhi at Marina beach. The chief minister and deputy chief minister are not present at the last rites ceremony. Congress president Rahul Gandhi and JD(S) leader HD Deve Gowda are among the thousands present at the ceremony to pay final tributes. The late DMK chief will be buried with full state honours. Having set off close to two hours ago from Rajaji Hall, Karunanidhi’s mortal remains are nearing Anna memorial. Meanwhile, Over 30 DMK workers tonsured their heads to express their grief in the passing of M Karunanidhi in Srivilliputhur in Virudhunagar district. Earlier, two people, including a 60-year old woman, reportedly lost their lives while 33 were injured in the stampede at Rajaji Hall. Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party leaders Akhilesh Yadav and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav pay tribute to Karunanidhi. Army has been called in to protect Kalaignar Karunanidhi’s body at Rajaji Hall in Chennai. The police estimate that over three lakh people are in and around the venue, with more coming in by the hour. More battalions of city police have been deployed to Rajaji Hall. DMK leader MK Stalin addressed the cadres gathered at Rajaji Hall and asked them to maintain calm and not do adventurous stunts as crowd continues to swell at the venue. 40 people have been injured in the stampede at Rajaji Hall in Chennai where Karunanidhi’s mortal remains have been kept for public viewing, according to India Today. Congress President Rahul Gandhi has landed in Chennai to pay last respects former Tamil Nadu chief Minister to M Karunanidhi. Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu govt said that it will not challenge Madras High Court’s decision, to allow burial of Kalaignar at Marina Beach, in Supreme Court. The funeral procession of M Karunanidhi is expected to leave Rajaji Hall at 4.30 pm and make its way to Anna Memorial. Karunanidhi funeral; LIVE updates: The law and order situation is getting chaotic at Karunanidhi’s burial site at Marina Beach as supporters have thronged the venue in large numbers forcing the police to resort to lathicharge. West Bengal Mamata Banerjee says she called Narendra Modi on Tuesday to express disappointment over Tamil Nadu government’s denial to bury Karunanidhi’s body at Marina Beach in Chennai. TMC leader Derek O’Brien will represent the party at the ex-DMK chief’s funeral. Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the day due to the passing away of former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi. The Madras High Court has approved the plan for Kalaignar memorial within the premises of Anna Memorial at Marina Beach in Chennai. Madras High Court allows Kalaignar to be buried near Anna Memorial at Marina Beach in Chennai. Also, orders the state government to build a memorial for Kalaignar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached Chennai’s Rajaji Hall where he would pay his last respects to the late DMK chief and former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi. Prime Minister Modi arrives at Chennai airport. He will be taken via helicopter to the INS helipad from where he will proceed by road to Rajaji Hall. He is accompanied by Minister of Defence Nirmala Sitharaman. The Madras High Court on Wednesday assured speedy decision in the case against denial of burial land by Tamil Nadu government at Marina beach for DMK chief M Karunanidhi. The government lawyers said that the demand for space in Marina is against the very philosophy of Kalaignar. This is trial by media, they say. Judge S S Sundar questions the government about the direction of their arguments. He says, the government mentioned that there are legal complications to the issue but instead of explaining what these are, the government is making contrary statements. Tamil Nadu government’s lawyer says, “DMK is pursuing political agenda by filing this case. DK Chief Periyar was the tallest leader of Dravidian movement. Was he buried at Marina beach?’ The High Court dismissed all pending petitions challenging burials on the Marina Beach in Chennai as it resumed hearing on a petition by the DMK seeking allotment of space at the famous beach for laying to rest its leader M Karunanidhi. The first bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh and Justice S S Sundar dismissed the petitions, including one by social activist Traffic Ramaswamy, when it resumed hearing this morning. “You (Tamil government) have announced state mourning, why not give land for burial?” DMK lawyer asked the state government. There’s no prohibition under central government protocol to allot land at Marina beach for ex-chief ministers. Tamil Nadu government in its counter affidavit says that DMK chief Karunanidhi himself didn’t allot land for former chief minister Janaki Ramachandran after understanding the protocol manual when Karunanidhi was the chief minister. DMK’s lawyer says “Anna, who is the founder of DMK, used to say my life and soul is Karunanidhi. Burying Karunanidhi next to Gandhi Mandapam cannot be termed as a decent burial.” The Tamil Nadu government lawyers said that the decision about the burial need not be delivered today on an emergency basis. However, the court can decide to deliver the judgment whenever it pleases, they said. The judges intervened to say under the circumstances it is not possible to delay the judgement any longer and it will have to be arrived at soon. All five petitions filed against the allocation of burial space at Marina have been withdrawn by the litigants. Government lawyers argue that the courts cannot interfere in the state’s decision in this regard. They cite the case of former chief minister K Kamaraj who isn’t buried at Marina. Government lawyers are arguing that two acres of land for a memorial has been allocated in Guindy’s Gandhi Mandapam in accordance with union government laws. Karunanidhi will be buried with full state honours. Additional Advocate General Arvindh Pandian and senior lawyer C S Vaidyanathan have arrived at the Madras High Court. [caption id=“attachment_4914321” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]
DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi’s mortal remains. Image Courtesy: Dhanabalan/ 101Reporters[/caption] National politicians, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, are expected to arrive in Chennai to pay their last respect to Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall. Other chief ministers Kumaraswamy, Chandrababu Naidu, Oommen Chandy, Akhilesh Yadav, Arvind Kejriwal are also expected to arrive to pay homage to the DMK chief. As leaders of Tamil Nadu make beeline to pay homage to DMK chief M Karunanidhi, thousand of Kalaignar supporters have been raising slogans, “Marina venu (We want Marina)”, demanding that the DMK chief be laid to rest just like other political stalwarts of the state. Reports have said that Tamil Nadu is on high alert. AIADMK’s rebel leader TTV Dhinakaran was the first to pay homage to Karunanidhi. “I don’t want to comment on giving space to Kalaignar at Marina. This is not the time for politics. Karunanidhi is a tall leader. It would not be appropriate to comment on it, since, the Madras High Court has seized of the matter at 8 am. I hope things will be fine,” Dhinakaran told reporters. Actor Rajinikanth reached Rajaji Hall to pay his last respects to DMK chief Karunanidhi. Rajinikanth, who arrived later on Tuesday, had failed to get past the massive crowd outside the residence and enter the residence. Rajinikanth reached Karunanidhi’s residence late on Tuesday night but had to return without seeing the Dravidian politics stalwart. Reports said that the mortal remains of Karunanidhi has left the CIT Colony home for Rajaji Hall where thousands await their leader’s last journey. DMK supporters who are present in hordes at Rajaji Hall said that they were confident that the Madras High Court will allow them to bury their Kalaignar at the Marina Beach in Chennai. Karunanidhi’s son MK Alagiri, DMK leader A Raja and TTV Dhinakaran arrived at Rajaji Hall, reports said. Within minutes of Karunanidhi’s death, a huge row erupted after the state’s AIADMK government rejected the demand of the DMK, its long-standing political rival in state politics, for land on the famed sands of the Marina beach where he could be buried. The Madras High Court will decide at 8 am whether the DMK chief be laid to rest along with other political stalwarts like Annadurai and MGR. As the clamour to give DMK chief M Karunanidhi a burial at the Marina grew, Makkal Needhi Maiam president Kamal Haasan tweeted in support of Karunanidhi’s burial at the Marina beach and said, “When Anna was alive, it was Kalaignar and MGR as two brothers who worked hard to strengthen the party. It is only just that all three are allowed to rest nearby. It is sad, that people who came into the party after MGR do not possess that noble quality. Had MGR been alive and Kalaignar had passed away, MGR would have made Kalaignar to rest next to Anna.” Leading politicians have supported the DMK claim. “AIADMK is playing petty politics,” DMK supporters told reporters outside the CIT Colony home of the late DMK supremo. The Madras High Court has adjourned hearing on a DMK plea to allot space on the Marina beach for burial of party leader M Karunanidhi who breathed his last on Tuesday at a Chennai hospital. The hearing is likely to begin at 8 am on Wednesday and the verdict is expected by 8.30 am. The DMK moved the court hours after the Tamil Nadu government announced its inability to allot burial space on the Marina beach citing legal hurdles. In a special late night hearing before the first bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh and Justice S S Sundar, the counsel for DMK questioned the government’s legal ground for not allotting space for burying Karunanidhi at the Marina beach. Hearing the matter, Acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh adjourned it to 8 am. The DMK argued that there was no legal impediment to allotting space within the memorial of former Chief Minister C N Annadurai on the beachfront. Senior counsel for the state government, making their submissions, said they would get instructions and file a counter in the morning. In his observations, the acting chief justice told the government counsel that “every minute of delay” may cause problems to the government and asked if it was prepared to handle it. He also said Karunandihi was among the tallest leaders of the country and asked what was the problem in allotting a burial site for him at the Marina. While the special hearing was held at the acting chief justice’s residence here, the matter, which was adjourned, will be heard at the court in the morning. Advocate G Doraisamy (Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam) and PMK advocate K Balu submitted before the bench that they were withdrawing their petitions against construction of a memorial for Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa at the Marina beach. This will remove legal hurdles for the government allowing a site for Karunanidhi, they told reporters later. Counsel for DMK P Wilson and Saravanan had earlier gone to the residence of the acting Chief Justice and sought permission to move an urgent motion. The acting chief justice directed them to serve notice on the advocate general, saying he would hear the case at 10.30 pm at his residence. Earlier, DMK working president M K Stalin, recalling the long public life of Karunanidhi, had written to Chief Minister K Palaniswami seeking space inside the mausoleum complex of the departed leader’s mentor C N Annadurai at the Marina. A government statement said it was “unable to allot space at Marina beach owing to several pending cases in the Madras High Court and legal complications.” Hence, the government is prepared to allot a two-acre site on Sardar Patel Road near the memorials to Rajaji and Kamaraj, it said.
Karunanidhi funeral; updates: DMK patriarch laid to rest with State honours as family, followers bid farewell
DMK patriarch Karunanidhi was laid to rest at Marina Beach with full State honours on Wednesday as his family members and follower bid farewell.
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Rajaji Hall stampede: Toll rises to three
The number of people who died at Rajaji Nagar on Wednesday rose to three with the death of one of the injured who was admitted to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital.
Earlier in the day, a stampede broke out at Rajaji Hall when M Karunanidhi’s mortal remains were kept for public viewing as swelling crowds jostled and surged forward to have a last glimpse of him.
Input by Abdul Kadar Mydeen/101Reporters
DMK patriarch laid to rest at Marina Beach
Karunanidhi was finally laid to rest with full State honours at Marina Beach on Wednesday as thousands of mourners including his family members and followers paid their final respects.
Burial set to take place shortly
Karunanidhi’s family members paid their respects to the DMK patriarch. The burial is expected to take place shortly.
Tamil Nadu governor, fisheries minister pays tributes to Karunanidhi
Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit, state minister D Jayakumar and Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan paid tribute to Karunanidhi at Marina beach. The chief minister and deputy chief minister are not present at the ceremony.
DMK supporters pay final respects at Marina beach
Karunanidhi’s followers climb over the ‘Triumph of Liberty’ statue near Anna Memorial to get a better view of Karunanidhi’s funeral procession.
Input by Gina/101Reporters
Karunanidhi’s body reaches Marina Beach
The funeral procession reached Marina Beach where Congress president Rahul Gandhi and JD(S) leader HD Deve Gowda are among the thousands present to pay final tributes. The late DMK chief will be laid to rest with full state honours.
EPS-OPS absent from last rites ceremony
Chief Minister EK Palaniswami and his deputy Panneerselvam are not part of those waiting to witness the Kalaignar’s final rites. Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar is representing the government at the event. He is seated next to BJP MP from Kanyakumari Pon Radhakrishnan.
Input by Abdul Kadar Mydeen/101Reporters
Stalin arrive at venue for memorial
DMK working president MK Stalin, who was at the head of the funeral procession with Kalanidhi Maran, enters the memorial. He greeted the string of dignitaries present at the venue and stood with HD Devegowda for a long time as they share a moving moment.
Input by Abdul Kadar Mydeen/101Reporters
DMK cadres tonsure heads over demise of their supreme leader
Over 30 DMK workers tonsured their heads to express their grief in the passing of M Karunanidhi in Srivilliputhur in Virudhunagar district.
Input by Jailani/101Reporters
Funeral procession nearing Anna memorial
Having set off close to two hours ago from Rajaji Hall, Karunanidhi’s mortal remains are nearing Anna memorial.
Input by Abdul Kadar Mydeen/101Reporters
Funeral procession now passing through Wallajah Road
According to a party statement, the procession, which began from Rajaji Hal around 4 pm, will proceed through Sivananda Road and Thanthai Periyar Road to reach Anna Square.
Epitaph on casket is what Karunandhi told Stalin three decades ago
The golden casket in which the mortal remains of Karunanidhi would be laid to rest will have the engraving in Tamil, “Oivu edukamal uzhaithavan, idho oivu eduthu kondu irukiran”, meaning “one who worked hard without taking rest, is resting in peace here”. According to NDTV , the epitaph is what the DMK patriarch had dictacted to his son MK Stalin about three decades ago.
DMK leader Durai Murugan and Sun Group chairman Kalanithi Maran present at venue for final rites
The funeral procession of late DMK president M Karunanidhi is currently going on. DMK leader Durai Murugan and Sun Group chairman Kalanithi Maran are among the several personalities present at the place where the Karunanidhi will be laid to rest.
Input by Guna/101Reporters
Final touches being added to Kalaignar’s grave site
The mortal remains of Karunanidhi will be lowered into the burial pit behind the samadhi of his mentor and DMK founder CN Annadurai at Marina beach with full state honours.
Image courtesy: Gina/101Reporters
Politicians seated at venue for final rites
DMK general secretary K Anbazhagan, politicians Vaiko, Thol Thirumavalavan, poet Vairamuthu and others are seen seated here, waiting for the final rites of the DMK patriarch.
Input by Gina/101Reporters
Karunanidhi’s Gopalapuram home wears deserted look
Kalaignar’s home at Gopalapuram wears a deserted look even as he moves slowly towards his final resting place.
Input by Abdul Kadar Mydeen/101Reporters
Preparations underway at Marina Beach
Armed forces stand in readiness near the newly prepared grave site beside Anna Memorial.
Mourners waiting outside Anna Memorial
Mourners have been waiting for hours outside Anna Memorial to catch a glimpse of Kalaignar.
The funeral procession is still making its way there.
Input by Prasad/101Reporters
Police struggled to clear Rajaji Hall entrance
The police struggle to clear Rajaji Hall entrance to make way for the open truck carrying Karunanidhi’s body.
Input by Prasad/101Reporters
Mourning the loss of the great artist, Kalaignar: A transwoman’s tribute
Many obituaries are being written in his memory at this moment of great sadness when he has passed away. I, a transwoman, cast away from home and family, one who had to struggle every day, and eventually emerge as India’s first transgender student of engineering, write this note mourning his death. I write this because when I went to college, Kalaignar had wished me well, like any mother and father would, in a write-up in the magazine Murasoli. If not me, who can do justice to write about what he has done for transwomen like me.
When the common public derided transwomen as pottai, ali and ombothu, Kalaignar embraced us fondly and gave us a new name, ‘Thirunangai’, and shielded us from ridicule. When we begged for money on the streets, he keenly observed the sound of our clap and set up a Transgender Welfare Board to address the problems we faced. When violence and discrimination peaked in the country that calls itself the leader of the free world, it was under his leadership that Tiruchi Siva of the DMK compiled the issues in the life of our people and piloted the bill Rights of Transgender Persons Bill in the Indian parliament in 2014. This made the false democracies that oppress people like us around the world hang their heads in shame.
Grace Banu is a technologist from Tamil Nadu and the founder of Trans Rights Now Collective.
Crowds gathering next to the Anna, MGR memorials
As the funeral processions begins from Rajaji Hall, the crowd swells outside the Anna and MGR Memorials which sit next to reach other.
The motorcade is expected to reach here by 4.30 pm. State funeral is scheduled to begin at 5.30 pm and final rights will begin at 6 pm, according to information shared by the DMK.
Input by Guna/101Reporters
DMK patriarch’s mortal remains moved to vehicle by armed forces
Karunanidhi’s remains were moved to the procession vehicle by the armed forces.
His final journey towards Marina Beach begins.
Input by Prasad/101Reporters
Karunanidhi’s mortal remains being taken to Marina Beach
Visuals from Karunanidhi’s funeral procession
Farooq Abdullah, Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel paid tributes to Karunanidhi
Funeral procession begins
Karunanidhi’s mortal remains are now being moved from Rajaji Hall to Marina Beach.
When Karunanidhi had helped fund a school and library in Mumbai
Karunanidhi had helped fund a school and library in Mumbai 35 years ago.
DMK Mumbai unit incharge R Palaniswamy said the unit invited Karunanidhi. “Not only did he accept our invitation, but also evinced keen interest in our activities and needs,” he said.
“We told him about non-availability of a community school in the Tamil-dominated Dharavi area. We also told him that lack of funds was a major factor in construction of the school,” he said.
“He asked senior party members to do the needful and ensure that the school is opened. Due to his proactive support, our branch got enough funds which not only helped us build the school, but also purchase office space and books for the school library,” Palaniswamy said. — PTI
‘Man who never rested is now resting’
The words on Karunanidhi’s casket read: ‘The man who never rested is now resting.’
Kalaignar will live on in the hearts and minds of people: Narendra Modi
Supreme Court refuses to entertain the plea filed by Traffic Ramaswamy seeking stay on last rites on Marina beach
Supreme Court refuses to entertain the plea filed by Traffic Ramaswamy seeking stay on the last rites of Karunanidhi at MarinaBeach. Ramaswamy had moved SC against the Madras High Court order which allowed to perform the last rites of Karunanidhi at the Marina beach.
Army vehicle to carry Karunanidhi’s remains on its final journey arrives
The army vehicle that will carry Karunanidhi’s remains on its final journey towards Marina beach has arrived at Rajaji Hall. ( Input by Sundar/101Reporters )
Karunanidhi’s void cannot be filled up by any other leader: Ghulam Nabi Azad
Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad paid tribute to Kalaignar and said, “Karunanidhi was a national icon — One of the great leaders of our country, great orator, thinker, writer and a great politician. I think he was the only politician who had so many qualities in one person; he always thought of poor people and downtrodden people, of social justice and self-pride. Being chief minister, chief of Opposition he was known and respected across the country. Today he is no more but his work and ideology will remain a guiding factor for all of us. A person like me with whom he was associated for 40 years since I was a youth Congress leader. I would come from North India to take guidance from him. There is a void that cannot be filled up by any political leader. This is a great loss for the country. May god give strength to his family to bear this loss.'
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Governor P Sathasivam, and Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala pay respects
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Governor P Sathasivam, and Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala paid tribute to Kalaignar at Rajaji Hall.
Preparations for Karunanidhi’s burial underway at Anna Memorial
Preparations are underway at Anna Memorial for the state funeral of DMK patriarch. (Input by Guna/101Reporters)
Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy, Dy CM G Parameshwara pay their last respects
“CM HD Kumaraswamy and DyCM G Parameshwara paid their last respects and tributes to M Karunanidhi, former CM of Tamilnadu who died yesterday, on behalf of the Government of Karnataka. They also met his bereaved family members and expressed their deepest condolences (sic),” tweets Karnataka chief minister’s office.
Ghulam Nabi Azad calls loss devastating, says DMK and Congress are family
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters at Chennai airport that he had known Karunanidhi since he was a young Congress worker and has always thought of him as a model leader. Calling his loss devastating, he said DMK and the Congress are a family and the coalition will continue. (Input by Abdul Kadar Mydeen/101Reporters)
Karunanidhi has fought for the people of Tamil Nadu, India lost a big leader: Akhilesh Yadav
Samajwadi Party leader says that Karunanidhi struggled since he was 14 and he was a true leader. India has lost a big leader today.
Two people lost their lives, 33 injured at the stampede at Rajaji Hall
Two people, including a 60-year old female, have reportedly lost their lives in the stampede at Rajaji Hall. A further 26 people, including a policewoman, have been taken to Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital with injuries. (Input by Abdul Kadar Mydeen/101Reporters)
Congress President Rahul Gandhi pays tribute to Karunanidhi
Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party leaders Akhilesh Yadav and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav pay tribute.
Indian national flag flies half-mast at Rashtrapati Bhavan
Indian national flag flies half-mast at Rashtrapati Bhavan after the demise of DMK chief. Image courtesy: PTI
