NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi paid rich tributes to former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi on his birth anniversary on Wednesday, saying he spent his life fighting for the dignity of the Tamil people, for social justice, and for the rights of the marginalised.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also paid tributes to Karunanidhi, also known as 'Kalaignar', on his birth anniversary, saying he was a beloved leader of Tamil Nadu.
Karunanidhi's lifelong commitment to social justice, equality, rational thought and democratic values transformed countless lives, Kharge said.
"Kalaignar Karunanidhi's immense contribution to public life, including art and literature, will forever be remembered with deep respect," Kharge said, tagging former Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK chief MK Stalin.
In a post on X, Gandhi said Karunanidhi was not just a chief minister, he was a writer, a poet, a thinker.
"'Kalaignar' M Karunanidhi spent his life fighting for the dignity of the Tamil people, for social justice, and for the rights of the marginalised," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said, hailing the DMK veteran who passed away in 2018.
"Not just a Chief Minister - he was a writer, a poet, a thinker. He believed in a Constitution that treats every Indian as equal," Gandhi said, paying tributes on the former Tamil Nadu chief minister's birth anniversary.
The Congress recently broke its long-standing alliance with the DMK and joined hands with Vijay-led TVK and to be a part of the government in Tamil Nadu.