Sonia Gandhi Condoles Karunanidhi's Death, Writes to MK Stalin Saying DMK Chief Was 'Father Figure to Me'

New Delhi, August 8: The entire nation is mourning over the death of DMK chief M Karunanidhi. The longest standing politician died on August 7 in Chennai. United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have written letters to Karunanidhi’s son and DMK working president MK Stalin, expressing their condolences over the death.

In her letter, Gandhi described Karunanidhi as a "towering figure in the world of politics". The former Congress president also wrote that the DMK chief was like a father figure to her and that his death has been a personal loss. Gandhi wrote that the DMK chief stood unwaveringly for social justice and equality and was a brilliant figure who did so much to promote Tamil Nadu’s rich heritage and culture.

Meanwhile, The former prime minister wrote, “In his death, our country has lost a versatile genius who was an outstanding artist and an eminent writer.” Singh described the DMK chief as a true leader who stood for the cause of the poor and downtrodden classes of the society. The former prime minister termed Karunanidhi as an exceptional public servant and an able administrator. In his letter, Singh also wrote, “I respected Thiru M Karunanidhi deeply who has a special affection towards me, and whenever I went to Chennai, I tried to find time to meet him personally.”

Karunanidhi breathed his last at Kauvery Hospital in Chennai on Tuesday evening. The final journey of the former chief minister will start at 4 pm from Rajaji hall. Before entering politics, he worked in the Tamil film industry as a screenwriter. The DMK chief entered politics at the age of 14. He also served as chief minister of Tamil Nadu between 1969 and 2011.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 08, 2018 01:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).