Congress sought Kamaraj's burial at Gandhi Mandapam, not Marina: Thangam Thennarasu

CHENNAI: Former Minister Thangam Thennarasu asserted in the Assembly on Tuesday (September 1) that the DMK has accorded full respect to late Chief Minister K Kamaraj both during his lifetime and during his final rites, refuting former ally Congress' Legislative Party leader Tharagai Cuthbert's allegations of any denial of permission to bury the mortal remains on Marina.

Thangam Thennarasu said that after learning about Kamaraj's demise, the then Chief Minister M Karunanidhi paid floral tributes to his mortal remains.

"His mortal remains were kept at Rajaji Hall for public tribute and later laid to rest at Gandhi Mandapam in Guindy as per demands placed by the Congress leaders. The then Chief Minister Karunanidhi himself made the arrangements along with Congress leaders Rajaram Naidu and Tindivanam Ramamoorthy," he said.

Former Congress leader Pazha Nedumaran had also acknowledged in an interview that there was no demand to lay Kamaraj's mortal remains on Marina Beach, he said.

When Congress leaders were preparing for a burial at Congress grounds, it was the then CM Karunanidhi who suggested that the legendary freedom fighter should not be restricted to Congress alone and suggested a memorial to preserve his contributions, Thangam Thennarasu said.

Thangam Thennarasu also quoted a statement by Rajaram Naidu in the Rajya Sabha that explained the sequence of events after Kamaraj's demise.

After the DMK asserted that a demand for a Marina memorial never arose in the case of former CM Kamaraj, Congress Legislative Party chief Tharagai Cuthbert said she would respond with valid evidence on Wednesday.