Rahul Gandhi, Rajinikanth back DMK over Karunanidhi’s burial at Marina beach

DMK’s demand of getting a burial site at Marina beach for party patriarch M Karunanidhi’s mortal remains is getting support from several corners. Congress president Rahul Gandhi and superstar Rajinikanth, who is soon to launch a political party, have backed the party’s demand for burial site beside Anna memorial.

The Congress chief urged the AIADMK government in the state to be “magnanimous in this time of grief”. Pointing that Karunanidhi was an expression of the voice of Tamil people, just like AIADMK stalwart J Jayalalithaa, Rahul Gandhi said that the state government must give the “voice” a space on Marina beach.

“Like Jayalalitha ji, Kalaignar was an expression of the voice of the Tamil people. That voice deserves to be given space on Marina Beach. I am sure the current leaders of Tamil Nadu will be magnanimous in this time of grief,” wrote the Congress chief on microblogging site Twitter.

Rajinikanth also asked the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu to “take all measures” to ensure that the last rites were performed near Anna Memorial at Marina beach. He said that it would be the “highest respect” that the Tamilians can pay to the DMK stalwart.

He said, “Tamil Nadu Government must take all measures, for last rites of Karunanidhi to be performed near Anna memorial. This would be the highest respect we would be paying to him. This is my humble request.”

 After the demise of Karunanidhi at Chennai’s Kauvery Hospital at 6.10 pm today, DMK working president MK Stalin made a request to the state government to provide space near Anna Memorial for burial. However, the government denied the same citing legal constraints, triggering protests by DMK cadres.

Shortly after, the DMK moved the Madras High Court over the same. Taking cognisance of the issue, the Madras High Court decided to hear the case at night.