MK to unveil statue of freedom fighter in TN on Jan 28

Chennai, Dec 24 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi will unveil the statue of the late freedom fighter Rathinavel Thevar at Tiruchirapalli on January 28, according to Statue Erection Committee Chairman R R Gopalji.

In a statement here today, Mr Gopalji said late Mr Thevar, who has served as the Chairman of Tiruchirapalli Municipality for 13 years and set up a giant 'Water House' at Lamparasampettai in the outskirts of Tiruchirapalli with his own expenditure to solve the drinking water problem in Tiruchirapalli and its suburbs on those days, for which he was received pat from the British Parliament, besides receiving appreciation letters from Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

Mr Thevar was invited to become the member of the Cabinet by the then Chief Minister Rajaji, Mr Thevar refused the offer and said that T S S Rajan of Madurai was the suitable person than him for the portfolio, he added.

The Statue Erection Committee had approached the previous Government for its permission to erect the statue, but the Government refused permission, he said and added that soon after Mr Karunanidhi, who assumed office as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, had given permission to erect the statue at Tiruchirapalli.

Mr Gopalji said he met Mr Karunanidhi on December 22 and personally thanked him for according permission for erecting the Thevar's statue and invited him to open the staute. Mr Karunanidhi has readily agreed to declare open the statue on January 28, he added.

He thanked Mr Karunanidhi on behalf of the Statue Erection Committee, as well as the people of Tiruchirapalli for granting permission to erect the statue of Thevar.

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