Karunanidhi will live on: Modi

A galaxy of political leaders, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, flew in here to pay their last respects to DMK chief and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi before he was laid to rest at Marina Beach.

Modi, who was accompanied by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, placed a wreath and consoled family members M K Stalin and Kanimozhi, and termed Karunanidhi an extraordinary leader and a veteran administrator whose life was devoted to public welfare and social justice.

"Kalaignar Karunanidhi will live on in the hearts and minds of the millions of people whose lives were transformed by him," Modi said in a tweet.

H D Kumaraswamy, K Chandrashekar Rao and Pinnarayi Vijayan — chief Ministers of Karnataka, Telangana and Kerala — former chief ministers Oomen Chandy (Kerala), Farooq Abdullah (Jammu and Kashmir) and Akhilesh Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) also paid their last respects to Karunanidhi.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara also paid his last respects.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi also paid respects to Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall after he was caught in the crowd.

In a rare gesture, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and rebel AIADMK leader T T V Dhinakaran also visited Rajaji Hall to have a last glimpse at Karunanidhi.

In her condolence message to M K Stalin, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi said Karunanidhi's death is a personal loss for her.

He always showed me great kindness and consideration, which I can never forget. He was like a father figure to me, she said in the message.