Karunanidhi is well, rumours of death are completely false, say DMK leaders

DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi with son MK Stalin and senior party leaders K Anbazhagan and Arcot N Veeraswami after rumours that he had died.

New Delhi: Rumours that DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi has died are false, senior party leaders have said. They said the rumours are completely baseless and that the veteran is in good health.

“Our leader is well. There is nothing wrong with him. There is no basis for the rumour that is doing the rounds,” said senior DMK leader and former Union Minister TR Baalu.

“His recovery after the recent surgery is on track. He is even receiving visitors. In fact, I am on my way to meet him,” he told Zee Media.

Rumours about Karunanidhi’s death led to a significant spike in online searches for the status of his health. The online search volumes for news on Karunanidhi especially spiked in the hours after lunch on Tuesday.

Karunanidhi had been admitted to hospital last month with respiratory difficulties, and had been discharged after undergoing surgery. A number of leaders from across the political spectrum had paid a visit to the hospital during Karunanidhi’s stay.

Uncharacteristically for Tamil Nadu politics, senior members of the AIADMK too had called on the hospital. This was an unusual climbdown after decades of bitter animosity between Karunanidhi and AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa. The vitriol between the two parties has been toned down by both sides after Jayalalithaa’s death in December 2016.

Karunanidhi has made few public appearances over the past year due to his health. The 93-year-old leader remains the president of the DMK, but his son and heir apparent MK Stalin took over as acting president.