Court allows Karunanidhi burial at Marina Beach: Updates

The court allowed the burial at the Marina Beach mausoleum complex after some of the PIL against the practice were withdrawn.

The body of DMK leader M Karunanidhi being brought to his residence in Chennai's Gopalapuram on Tuesday night. (Picture: PTI)

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has allowed the burial of DMK chief M Karunanidhi at the mausoleum complex on Chennai's Marina Beach. The court's ruling is the culmination of a battle between the DMK and the ruling AIADMK. The Tamil Nadu government had denied the DMK request that Karunanidhi be buried next to his mentor, CN Annadurai.

The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday had denied the DMK's request that Karunanidhi be buried near Annadurai. It had instead offered a two-acre site close to the memorials to Congress chief ministers C Rajagopalachari, K Kamaraj and M Bhaktavatsalam.

The DMK had then approached the Madras High Court. Acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh had held a late-night hearing around 10:30 pm on Tuesday, and asked the Tamil Nadu government to list out the reasons it had denied the request.

Activists who had earlier filed PILs against the burial of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa at the Marina site also told the court that they were prepared to withdraw their cases.

Karunanidhi's body is lying in state at Chennai's Rajaji Hall, where political leaders from across the country and members of the public are paying their last respects to the veteran leader.

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08 August 2018

11:01 IST

"Madras High Court has instructed the AIADMK government to ensure the establishment of a memorial for Karunanidhi at the spot," says .

(ANI)

10:59 IST

Tamil Nadu: MK Stalin breaks down after Madras High Court's verdict to allow the burial of former CM M #Karunanidhi at Chennai's Marina beach. pic.twitter.com/rzgJ4h4fG4

— ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2018