Stalin: I pleaded with CM K Palaniswami for thalaivar's burial space at Marina

Stalin pays homage to Karunanidhi at an event, organised by South Indian Artists' Associations in Chennai. Pic/PTI

The row over allotment of burial space for DMK chief M Karunanidhi shows no signs of abating, with party leader M K Stalin on Tuesday saying he literally 'pleaded' with Chief Minister K Palaniswami for space on the Marina beachfront.

The government, on its part, maintained that its decision to allot burial space for the Dravidian stalwart elsewhere was taken considering legal issues, but asserted it gave "unprecedented respect" to the leader by ensuring state honours.

Stalin, DMK working president, said he decided not to pay heed to his senior colleagues' suggestion that he need not meet Palaniswami to make a plea on the issue and that they would do the job. "I was prepared to lose my dignity and honour for the sake of Thalaivar (leader - Karunanidhi) and met the chief minister where we made our case (for space at Marina). "He cited rules to say it was not possible and that even legal opinion was in this regard," he said at an urgent meeting of the DMK executive committee to mourn Karunanidhi's demise.

"I told (the CM) that legal advisers will only reflect the government...I literally pleaded with the chief minister, holding his hands, and asked his support for us in fulfilling our Thalaivar's desire (of being buried near the Anna memorial)," he said.

AIADMK hits out at Rajinikanth
The AIADMK hit out at top actor Rajinikanth for slamming Chief Minister K Palaniswami over his absence from Karunanidhi's funeral and claimed he used a condolence meeting to try to graduate from a "part-time politician" to "full-time" one. Senior AIADMK leader D Jayakumar said he had represented the government at the funeral.

DMK backs Stalin for top post
Amid indications of a possible succession war within the party, the DMK on Tuesday rallied behind its working president M K Stalin, the son of late party chief M Karunanidhi, saying he would take over its leadership soon. Duraimurugan, the party's principal secretary and long time aide of Karunanidhi, said Stalin had all the skills to lead the party.

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