CM Palaniswami, Cabinet Should Have Attended Karunanidhi's Burial, Says Rajinikanth

Chennai: Tamil actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth on Monday said chief minister K Palaniswami and his entire cabinet should have attended the burial of late DMK president M Karunanidhi at the Marina beach last week.

The actor 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.

Speaking at a memorial event organised by the South Indian Artistes Association for Karunanidhi, the actor said many leaders, ranging from state governor Banwarilal Purohit to Congress president Rahul Gandhi, were present during the ceremony.

“For his burial, the whole of India came. State honours were given by members of the three armed forces. He was given a 21-gun salute.

“But one thing remains. 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? Are you MGR (AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran) or Jayalalithaa?” he asked. Both Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa were considered rivals of Karunanidhi.

Heaping praise on his 'friend' Karunanidhi, Rajinikanth said while many thousands had entered politics due to him, "many hundreds became leaders" because of him. DMK working president MK Stalin also attended the memorial event.