Maran boycotts Karunanidhi's felicitation function

Chennai, May 11: Bringing the widening rift between the Marans and Karunanidhis to the fore, Union Minister and DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran was conspicuous by his absence at the special address by Tamil Nadu Governor Surjit Singh Barnala to mark the completion of 50 years of Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in the State Assembly, today.

Except Mr Maran, the grandnephew of Mr Karunanidhi, all sitting MPs from the ruling DMK, former MPs and MLAs attended the function.

The ongoing cold war between the twotook a bloody turn on Wednesday when the supporters of Mr M K Azhagiri, the Madurai-based son of Mr Karunanidhi, ransacked and set fire to the office of popular Tamil daily Dinakaran, owned by the Marans, killing three employees of the daily. The assailants were irked by a survey published by the newspaper based on the line of succession in the DMK.

The Opposition, led by the AIADMK, too boycotted the function.

The visiting dignitaries, including the MPs and former MPs, were seated in the Opposition benches. Family members of Mr Karunanidhi, Dravida Kazhagam leader K Veeramani and prominent personalities close to the DMK were seated in the visitor's gallery.

The entire Secretariat premises was tastefully decorated and the assembly hall wore a festive look. Portraits of all statesmen were garlanded. The Speaker's seat, from where the Governor delivered the address, was also decorated.

Mr Karunanidhi's illustrious political career began in 1957 when he was first elected to the Tamil Nadu Assembly from the Kulithalai constituency. Since then the DMK patriarch never tasted electoral defeat and with a win over Chepauk seat in the city in May 2006, Assembly elections for 11th time, he has a record to his crdit.

UNI

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