President Pranab Mukhjeree unveiling the statue of veteran Congress leader K Karunakaran at Kannakakunu Palace in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
President Pranab Mukherjee today unveiled a bronze statue of former Kerala Chief Minister Late K Karunakaram at the Kanakakunnu Palace Grounds in Thiruvananthapuram.
President Pranab, while remembering his four-decade long acquaintance with the Congress leader, called Karunakaran a leader with a rare combination of being an outstanding politician as well as an administrator.
"If Kerala today is seen as a model state in several spheres, Karunakaran's role in ensuring the same has been no less," he said.
"Karunakaran had a long and colourful legislative life. I don't think anyone besides Karunanidhi of Tamil Nadu and Jyoti Basu of West Bengal would have had such long innings," the President added.
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, remembering the contribution of Karunakaran to the state, said that there would have been no better person that the President himself to have unveiled this statue.
The Chief Minister said that all efforts possible would be made to ensure that the Cochin airport would be named after Karunakaran, after consultation with all effected parties, since without the efforts of the former chief minister, the first PPP model based airport would never have existed in Cochin.
However, a Supreme Court order in January states that henceforth, the State (Kerala) government would not grant any permission for statue or construction of any structure at public places, (on) roads or (at) any place of public utility. This order shall also apply to all other States and Union Territories.