Make Karuna's jubilee a 'turning point' in Indian politics: Stalin to DMK workers

The DMK today exhorted its cadres to work towards making party patriarch M Karunanidhi's 94th birthday, which marks the diamond jubilee of his legislative career, on June 3 a "turning point" in the country's politics.

DMK working president M K Stalin made the appeal as the party gears up for the celebrations for which it has invited several political leaders, including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Prasad.

Karunanidhi, who has avoided public events for the past few months due to health issues, was continuing his medical treatment well and if permitted by doctors, he might take part in the celebrations, Stalin said.

Asking party workers to slog for enhancing the honour and esteem of the party chief and his father, Stalin said, "At a time when he is taking some rest due to medical reasons, working to fulfil his ideals will be the best birthday gift to him."

Stalin, the Leader of Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, hailed Karunanidhi as "a leader who has worked for the development of the Tamil society for 80 long years without respite".

Listing several development initiatives and welfare measures launched during the previous DMK regimes, he said Karunanidhi had taken the place of an "illustrious leader of big achievements" not only in the state's history but also in the Indian democratic annals.

"Let us make the celebrations a turning point in Indian politics. Let Tamil Nadu's capital city turn a sea of black and red (the colours of DMK's flag) and its reverberations reach New Delhi," he said, asking party workers to gather in large numbers here on June 3.

DMK Rajya Sabha MP and Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi had recently invited Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad for the event.

The main opposition party in Tamil Nadu, the DMK is seeking to regain its hold after back-to-back electoral set backs in the last two assembly elections and 2014 Lok Sabha polls and working towards becoming a key player in national politics as well, like it was during the erstwhile UPA regime.

As part of such efforts, the DMK is projecting itself to be a rallying point for anti-BJP forces in the state especially when both the factions of the ruling AIADMK appear favourably disposed towards the saffron party and the Centre.