Stalin Says Would Have Died Had Father Not Been Buried At Marina Beach

MK Stalin had broken down on hearing that his father's burial at Marina Beach was allowed

Opening up on the subject publicly for the first time, DMK leader MK Stalin said today that he had pleaded with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palaniswami to allot space at the Marina beach to bury party President and his father M Karunanidhi. He added that had he not gotten permission to bury his father at the Marina beach, he too would have died.

Addressing an emergency meeting of the party's Executive Committee, MK Stalin recalled: "We (party leaders and family members) met the chief minister and made our request. He said the norms do not allow a former Chief Minister to be buried at Marina beach."

"I held the hands of the chief minister and pleaded for space. They did not agree," Mr Stalin said.

He said the decision to meet E Palaniswami in person was taken after doctors declared that M Karunanidhi was in critical condition.

According to Mr Stalin, the chief minister said the matter would be looked into -- but this was stated in order to send out the delegation.

After the announcement of Karunanidhi's death at 6.10 pm on August 7, the government issued a statement formally refusing a burial space at Marina.

Praising the DMK's legal team led by T Wilson, MK Stalin said they approached the Madras High Court late at night and won the case the next day.

MK Stalin said that had the case been lost, a situation would have arisen leading to his own burial next to Karunanidhi.

MK Stalin had broken down on hearing that the Madras High Court had allowed his father's burial at Marina Beach.