Karunanidhi wishes Sharat Kumar prosperous life

Chennai, Apr 17 (UNI) DMK President M Karunanidhi today wished a 'prosperous life' to actor and party MP Sarath Kumar, who quit the party and joined the AIADMK.

''Mr Sarathkumar should recall his past, bring the present to the focus and lead a prosperious life in the future,'' he said when newspersons sought his reaction to the development.

Talking to newspersons at Anna Arivalayam after filing his nomination papers to seek election from Chepauk, the DMK leader conveyed his wishes to Ms Radhika Sarathkumar too.

Asked what would happen to Sarathkumar's Rajya Sabha seat, Mr Karunanidhi said after his April 10 letter, informing him that he was resigning from the party, the actor sent a fresh letter this morning, announcing he was resigning primary membership of the DMK as well as Rajya Sabha member.

Asked what could be the reason for the Sarathkumars quitting, Mr Karunanidhi said he had no faith in God. 'Only God only knows.' Both Mr Sarathkumar and Ms Radhika used to address Mr Karunanidhi as 'Appa' (father). Mr Sarathkumar, while addressing the DMK's state conference in Tiruchirapalli in March, had declared he would remain in the DMK till his death.

When he died, his body should be wrapped in the DMK party flag, he had said, giving a strong indication that he would remain in the party come what may, though his fans exerted pressure on him to leave, alleging that he was sidelined and insulted in the party.

Mr Sarathkumar joined the DMK in 1998 and unsuccessfully contested from Tirunelveli in 1998 Lok Sabha poll. In 2001 the DMK nominated him to the Rajya Sabha and his term was to end in July 2007.

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