Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin celebrated his 70th birthday on Wednesday. He cut a cake in presence of party leaders and paid tribute at Periyar EV Ramasamy's memorial. But the highlight of the event was a unique gift that some DMK workers brought for Mr Stalin. The workers from Thiruvannamalai district brought a camel into the party headquarters where Mr Stalin was meeting DMK workers. The video of the camel was posted on social media where it became wildly popular.
The DMK also organised state-wide events to celebrate Mr Stalin's birthday yesterday, where they gave gold rings to newborn babies, saplings to farmers and organised blood donation camps.
Community baby shower events, eye care service and community lunch events were also held in many districts of Tamil Nadu.
Mr Stalin's birthday also became an event for opposition unity as leaders of several parties reached Chennai to attend a public meeting.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who was also present at the event, stressed that the primary objective of the opposition should be to put up a united fight against "divisive forces". The DMK chief backed his views and said post-poll alliances and arguments by some favouring a front without Congress should be rejected as they are not workable.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and National Conference (NC) head Farooq Abdullah also attended the birthday celebrations and urged Mr Stalin to come to the national political scene by playing a bigger role.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi spoke to Mr Stalin over phone and conveyed their birthday wishes to him.
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