Karunanidhi hails Castro as ‘lion cub

“Fidel Castro is no more. Who is that Fidel Castro ? ...a lion cub from a small country who rose to a become a highly respected revolutionary leader,’’ Karunanidhi said. 

“Castro is one of the greatest leaders I can never forget,” he added. 

He also repeated a poem penned by him at a function held in Chennai on January 21, 2006 to commemorate the Cuban revolution and said the best  tribute to the hero was to repeat that poem. 

Condoling the Communist leader’s death, the 93-year old Karunanidhi expressed his sympathies with the people of Cuba and supporters of the former Cuban president all over the world. 

Castro had ushered in lot of people-oriented welfare measures and had defied the United States on many occasions, he said. 

Other leaders, including DMDK founder and actor Vijayakant, DMK treasurer and Leader of the Opposition MK Stalin, former Union Minister and PMK Youth Wing leader Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi leader MH Jawahirullah and VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan, expressed their condolences to the death of Castro.