Modi, Rahul to fly to Chennai to pay last respect to MK

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi will fly to Chennai on Wednesday to pay their last respects to Dravida Munnethra Kazhagam (DMK) president M Karunanidhi.

A meeting of the Union Cabinet was scheduled to take place at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, but it was postponed as Prime Minister would leave New Delhi for Chennai in the morning and would return in the evening after paying tribute to the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu.

“Extremely sad to learn of the passing of Thiru M. Karunanidhi. A doyen of our public life, as a contributor to the development of Tamil Nadu and of India he has few peers. Our country is poorer today. My condolences to his family and millions of well-wishers,” President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted after the DMK president passed away in Chennai on Tuesday.

“Deeply saddened by the passing away of Kalaignar Karunanidhi. He was one of the senior most leaders of India. We have lost a deep-rooted mass leader, prolific thinker, accomplished writer and a stalwart whose life was devoted to the welfare of the poor and the marginalised.” Modi tweeted. He posted some of his pictures with the DMK president on Twitter.

“Kalaignar Karunanidhi stood for regional aspirations as well as national progress. He was steadfastly committed to the welfare of Tamils and ensured that Tamil Nadu’s voice was effectively heard,” he stated in another tweet.

Modi also tweeted in Tamil to pay homage to the departed leader.

“Loved by the Tamilian people, Kalaignar strode the stage of Tamil politics, like a colossus, for over 6 decades. In his passing, India has lost a great son. My condolences to his family as also to the millions of Indians who grieve for their beloved leader tonight,” Rahul Gandhi tweeted on Tuesday.

“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,” the Congress president said in another post on Twitter. He tweeted after reports came in from Chennai that the All India Anna Dravida Munnethra Kazhagam Government in Tamil Nadu rejected the plea of the Karunanidhi's son M K Stalin to allow burial of his father on the Marina Beach in Chennai.

Rahul will fly to Chennai on Wednesday along with senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mukul Wasnik.

“Deeply saddened at the passing away of Kalaignar M Karunanidhi. 60 years a legislator, 5 times CM & a pillar of many coalitions at the Centre,he influenced his State's & the National politics like few others. My deepest condolences to his family & admirers. He will be missed deeply,” tweeted former President Pranab Mukherjee. He also wrote a letter to Stalin conveying condlences on the demise of the 94-year-old leader. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also conveyed condolences to the bereaved family.

Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal will also travel to Chennai on Wednesday to pay his last respects to the departed soul.