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Madras HC gives nod for DMK chief Karunanidhi's burial at Marina, son Stalin breaks down

In a major setback to E Palaniswami led AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu, the Madras High court on Wednesday granted a permission to bury DMK leader Karunanidhi at Anna Memorial on Marina beach.

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In a major setback to E Palaniswami led AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu, the Madras High court on Wednesday granted permission to bury DMK chief Karunanidhi at Anna Memorial on Marina beach.

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

"The DMK's plea for the burial of Kalaignar's body near Anna memorial has been accepted by the Madras High Court. The court further directed Tamil Nadu government to ensure and establish a memorial for Kalaignar's," said DMK's lawyer V Kannadasan.

Meanwhile, DMK working president MK Stalin broke down, while supporters celebrated after the court's verdict. "There is no impediment to bury body of Karunanidhi in Marina, said Madras HC, directing state government  to allot land forthwith."

 

On Tuesday, the DMK had filed a plea in the court after state government denied burial space for Karunanidhi near Anna Memorial at Marina beach owing to pending petitions against burial on Marina beach. 

Tamil Nadu government's lawyer argued that the 'DMK was pursuing political agenda by filing this case. "DMK Chief Periyar was the tallest leader of Dravidian movement. Was he buried at Marina beach?", they asked.

However, DMK's lawyer said that there are one crore DMK followers in Tamil Nadu out of 7 crore population of the state.

"They will be offended if burial land is not allotted for Karunanidhi at Marina beach." The party's lawyer also accused the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) for showing 'double standards' over the issue. The lawyer also argued that there was no prohibition under Central government protocol to allot land at Marina beach for former Chief Minister.

On Tuesday, 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.

Earlier, 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.

Meanwhile, people have queued up in large numbers early this morning at Rajaji Hall here to pay their last respects to M Karunanidhi.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam, Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai, senior state ministers, AMMK leader and RK Nagar MLA TTV Dhinakaran, superstar Rajinikanth and his family, and actor Sivakarthikeyan among others paid homage to Karunanidhi.

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