Karunanidhi's last rites on Wednesday, PM Modi to visit Chennai to pay last respect

The last rites of DMK president M Karunanidhi will be performed at Marina beach in Chennai. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Tamil Nadu capital to attend the funeral of the Dravidian leader who passed away on Tuesday after a prolonged illness.

MGR led AIADMK to victory in the party's debut Assembly polls in 1977, and in 1980 and 1985. He was the chief minister till his death in 1987, forcing Karunanidhi to cool his heels in the opposition as long as he helmed the state. Karunanidhi was back in power in 1989, only to lose to J Jayalalithaa, MGR's protegee, in 1991. He led DMK to victory in 1996, but AIADMK under Jayalalithaa trumped his party once again in 2001. PTI Photo

CHENNAI: The last rites of DMK president M Karunanidhi will be performed on Wednesday in Chennai. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Tamil Nadu capital to pay last respect to the Dravidian leader who passed away on Tuesday evening after a prolonged illness. The Tamil Nadu government has declared a holiday on Wednesday following Karunanidhi's death and said the state will observe 7-days mourning. The Centre has decided to accord state funeral to the DMK chief. The national flag will fly at half mast in Delhi, all state capitals and across Tamil Nadu tomorrow as a mark of respect to DMK chief M Karunanidhi, who passed away today, the Home Ministry announced.

The government of India will observe state mourning across the country tomorrow and there will be no official entertainment during the day, a Home Ministry spokesperson said The veteran of Dravidian politics was shifted to the hospital on July 28 from his Gopalapuram residence following a dip in his blood pressure and he was under treatment in the Intensive Care Unit ever since. Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned the death of DMK president M Karunanidhi, describing him as a prolific thinker and a deep-rooted mass leader who stood for regional aspiration and national progress. "I am deeply saddened by the passing away of Kalaignar Karunanidhi. He was one of the senior most leaders of India. 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," Modi said in his tweets.