Chennai:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Thursday rued that political differences had overwhelmed relationship among parties in the state and said he yearned for an environment found in national politics, where rival leaders maintain cordiality.
"Even recently, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and BJP leader L K Advani met at a wedding and exchanged pleasantries. I felt so jealous seeing that," the DMK patriarch said, responding to felicitations offered by parties, barring AIADMK for completing four years in office, in the state assembly.
Karunanidhi, who has held the chief minister's post for 19 years in different terms, said he yearned for a similar political climate in the state.
His remarks assume significance as DMK and AIADMK never see eye to eye on any issue and their leaders do not even exchange pleasantries, reflecting the animosity between them.
AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi were mostly conspicuous by their absence in the assembly during each others chief ministership, making no bones about their hostility.
Going down memory lane, the 86-year-old leader recalled his party's criticism of former chief minister K Kamaraj (Congress) in its early days, but observed that he inaugurated the Tamil conference in Chennai, organised by DMK founder C N Annadurai.
"When my mother died, Kamaraj was the first to pay respects to her," Karunanidhi said, adding later when he was the chief minister, he ensured full government honours for the Congress leader's death ceremony.
Karunanidhi said despite his differences with former chief minister and AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran, they always maintained their friendship. He said when he heard that MGR had passed away, he cancelled a trip and was the first to pay respects to the departed leader.
Despite having different ideologies, rationalist E V R Periar and Congress stalwart C Rajagopalachari were friends in personal life, he observed.
These were pointers to the fact that there was a need to uphold Tamil culture which had to be done unitedly, he said adding this could be done only if political differences were overcome.
"Even recently, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and BJP leader L K Advani met at a wedding and exchanged pleasantries. I felt so jealous seeing that," the DMK patriarch said, responding to felicitations offered by parties, barring AIADMK for completing four years in office, in the state assembly.
Karunanidhi, who has held the chief minister's post for 19 years in different terms, said he yearned for a similar political climate in the state.
His remarks assume significance as DMK and AIADMK never see eye to eye on any issue and their leaders do not even exchange pleasantries, reflecting the animosity between them.
AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi were mostly conspicuous by their absence in the assembly during each others chief ministership, making no bones about their hostility.
Going down memory lane, the 86-year-old leader recalled his party's criticism of former chief minister K Kamaraj (Congress) in its early days, but observed that he inaugurated the Tamil conference in Chennai, organised by DMK founder C N Annadurai.
"When my mother died, Kamaraj was the first to pay respects to her," Karunanidhi said, adding later when he was the chief minister, he ensured full government honours for the Congress leader's death ceremony.
Karunanidhi said despite his differences with former chief minister and AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran, they always maintained their friendship. He said when he heard that MGR had passed away, he cancelled a trip and was the first to pay respects to the departed leader.
Despite having different ideologies, rationalist E V R Periar and Congress stalwart C Rajagopalachari were friends in personal life, he observed.
These were pointers to the fact that there was a need to uphold Tamil culture which had to be done unitedly, he said adding this could be done only if political differences were overcome.
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