Karunanidhi's Anna Memorial burial was AIADMK alms: Minister

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) Sep 18 (ANI) : Tamil Nadu Information and Technology Minister Kadambur Raju stirred a controversy by claiming that the allocation of land at Marina Beach for the burial of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) patriarch and late chief minister M. Karunanidhi was the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's (AIADMK) "alms".
"Even when the High Court directed to give land at Anna Memorial, we chose not to appeal, due to our generosity. If Karunanidhi is lying in Anna Memorial, it is only because the alms are given by us to them," he said.
Raju, who was speaking at a public meeting in Kovilpatti in Thoothukudi district, also said that the AIADMK government offered DMK land to bury Karunanidhi, despite the fact he was not the incumbent chief minister of Tamil Nadu.
"We offered land to Karunanidhi despite the fact that he was not the present chief minister of the state. We didn't even appeal against the Madras High Court verdict as well. Karunanidhi got a land at the Marina Beach only because of the generosity shown by the AIADMK government," he added.
Karunanidhi, who was Tamil Nadu's longest-serving chief minister, breathed his last in August this year at the age of 94 after a period of prolonged illness.
Soon after the DMK patriarch's demise, the state government denied burial space for him near the Anna Memorial at Marina beach, which caused violence across Chennai. However, the Madras High Court granted permission to the DMK to bury Karunanidhi at the Marina Beach. (ANI)