Family members, cadre pay homage on Marina

The 94-year-old DMK president, who died on Tuesday evening, was laid to rest with full military honours next to the memorial of his mentor and ideologue CN Annadurai on the Marina last evening.

After several DMK supporters, who had participated in the final journey of Karunanidhi from Rajaji Hall to Marina, paid their homage last night, more cadres thronged the burial site this morning and paid their respects.

Film lyricist Vairamuthu, accompanied by his two sons, paid homage by pouring milk and showering flowers at the place where Karunanidhi was interred, DMK Working President M K Stalin, accompanied by senior Leaders and his family members paid floral tributes at the burial site.

Meanwhile, party cadre from various parts of the state visited the burial site and paid their homage, where a decorated portrait of the late leader was also kept. Armed police personnel were deployed on security duty at the burial site.

Ken Juster, the US Ambassador to India, was among those who condoled the death of the DMK president, noting that the late leader would be remembered for his contributions to Tamil Nadu and also India. “On behalf of the United States Mission in India, I wish to extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of former chief minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi and the people of Tamil Nadu. He will be remembered for his years of public service to his state and the country at large,” Ambassador Juster said in a statement.

A man, who was killed in the stampede at the Rajaji Hall, was identified as an AIADMK worker from Vellore on Thursday. When the crowd broke into the VIP path, it lead to a stampede in which four were killed on Wednesday. While the other three were identified, the identity of the fourth victim was not known. Following the Daily Thanthi publishing a photo of the victim, his relatives identified him as Mohan (65) of the Kasba area in Vellore. The father of two was also the AIADMK area secretary for Kasba.