NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday paid his tributes to DMK stalwart M Karunanidhi on his 100th birth anniversary, and remembered him for the work he did for the development of Tamil Nadu and the Tamilians.

Karunanidhi, born on this day in 1924 and died on August 7, 2018, served as chief minister of Tamil Nadu for almost two decades over five terms between 1969 and 2011. He is popularly referred to as Kalaignar.

"I pay tributes to Kalaignar Karunanidhi Ji on his 100th birth anniversary. In his long years in public life, he worked towards the development of Tamil Nadu and the Tamil people," Modi said.

"He is widely respected for his scholarly nature. I fondly recall my several interactions with him, including when we both were Chief Ministers of our respective states," the prime minister said on X.