CHENNAI: Actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth on Monday lashed out at the Tamil Nadu government for not attending late DMK President M Karunanidhi's funeral last week. Questioning the absence of the Chief Minister and Cabinet ministers at the burial, Rajinikanth asked why did they stay away from the Marina beach.


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"For his burial, the whole of India came. State honors were given by members of the three armed forces. He was given a 21 gun salute. The Governor, many Chief Ministers, and Congress president Rahul Gandhi had come. Tamil Nadu's first citizen, the Chief Minister, shouldn't he have come? Should not the entire cabinet have come? What will people think," Rajinikanth asked.


He also said he would have launched a protest if the government had appealed against a Madras High Court verdict, directing it to provide burial space to the Dravidian stalwart on Marina beach.


He also attacked the state government on the controversy over denial of land for Karunanidhi's memorial at the Marina beach, a decision that was struck down by the Madras High Court. Rajinikanth said he himself would have launched a protest if the government had appealed against the order.


Heaping praise on his 'friend' Karunanidhi, Rajinikanth said while many thousands had entered politics due to him, "many hundreds became leaders" because of him.