A grand memorial for five-time Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi will come up at his resting place on Marina Beach in Chennai at a cost of Rs 39 crore. The memorial will be built in an area of 2.21 acres of land adjacent to the Anna Memorial.
Chief Minister and Karunanidhi’s son M K Stalin made the announcement under Rule 110 in the Assembly – the first such declaration under the rule after the DMK government assumed office on May 7.
The Marina Beach already has three memorials for Dravidian stalwart C N Annadurai, AIADMK founder and matinee idol M G Ramachandran and former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. The memorial for Karunanidhi will be the fourth such structure on Marina Beach.
Listing the achievements of Karunanidhi as Chief Minister, Stalin said the memorial will be built at a cost of Rs 39 crore. Hours later, the government released a picture to show how the memorial will look like once completed.
“Kalaignar’s (Karunanidhi) will be built in a way that it would help future generations realise his contributions to the society,” Stalin said in the Assembly. The announcement was welcomed by all political parties that have representation in the Assembly including principal Opposition AIADMK and its allies PMK and BJP.
“We are duty-bound to welcome the announcement,” deputy floor of AIADMK O Panneerselvam said, recalling how his father “worshipped” Karunanidhi. Leaders from PMK and BJP also welcomed the announcement saying Karunanidhi deserved a memorial at his resting place.
Karunanidhi, who died on August 7, 2018, was buried near the resting place of his mentor C N Annadurai on Marina Beach. The Tamil Nadu government refused to provide space on Marina Beach for Karunanidhi, but the DMK moved the Madras High Court and ensured that he was buried near Annadurai.
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