Muthuvel Karunanidhi, a five-time chief minister of Tamil Nadu, the doyen of Tamil politics who rode like a colossus in the politics of the state and who was in public life for 80-long years, died on Tuesday evening after waging a battle for life in a city hospital. He was undergoing treatment for a Urinary Tract Infection at Kauvery Hospital. Karunanidhi is survived by three wives and six children.
Karunanidhi’s death sent shock waves not just in Tamil Nadu but across the nation as political leaders from across parties started showering tributes through social media and the state was cast in a pall of gloom.
The 94-year-old leader’s death would create a void in Tamil politics. He was considered as one of the two pillars of Tamil politics. He was active for more than 80 years in various capacities, starting as a student activist at a tender age of 14. The Kalaignar’s death triggered a nationwide mourning.