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Karunanidhi to be buried with full-state honours at Marina Beach
Karunanidhi will be buried adjacent to the mausoleum of former chief minister and his mentor CN Annadurai on the sands of Marina Beach.
DMK chief M Karunanidhi will soon be buried at Chennai’s Marina Beach, close to his mentor CN Annadurai’s memorial, after thousands marched in his funeral procession.
The tri-colour covered body of the 94-year-old veteran politician was put on a military vehicle by military personnel shortly before 4 pm Karunanidhi’s body will be interred in a sandalwood casket and lowered into the earth at Marina.
As per Karunanidhi’s wish, the wordings -- “The person who had worked without rest is resting here” -- was sculpted on the casket.
DMK leader and Karunanidhi’s son M.K. Stalin, accompanied by party leaders, walked ahead of the military vehicle as the funeral procession made slow progress, with thousands crowding the streets.
All the arterial roads to Marina Beach and Rajaji Hall have been blocked for traffic as Chennai continued to be deserted.
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The police had a tough time handling the crowd at Rajaji Hall where lakhs of DMK supporters turned up to pay tributes to the departed leader. Two persons were killed and more than 30 injured in a stampede outside the Hall.
Wednesday started with Madras High Court allowing DMK chief’s burial at Marina Beach, the resting place of many political stalwarts. The order came on a petition filed by DMK following Tamil Nadu government’s refusal to allot space for him to be buried at the beach.
During the day several leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee paid their respects to the DMK chief.
