Chennai, August 7: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday unveiled a statue of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi at the Murasoli office of the DMK in Kodambakkam. DMK President MK Stalin was also present at the event. Stalin had invited Banerjee and several other leaders, including Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu, at Wednesday's memorial meeting to mark the first death anniversary of the party patriarch. DMK Chief M Karunanidhi Dies at 94, Twitter Mourns the Dravidian Stalwart’s Death.

On the eve of the first death anniversary of M Karunanidhi, the DMK has also scheduled a public meeting at the YMCA Auditorium in Royapettah, Chennai. Stalin, Tamil Nadu Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi, A K Antony and cadres of the party also took part in a procession to Marina Beach to offer prayers to the DMK patriarch at his final resting place on Wednesday.

Mamata Banerjee Unveils Karunanidhi's Statue:

A year ago, on the same day, Karunanidhi breathed his last at Kauvery Hospital in Chennai. The veteran leader was one of the founding members of the Dravidian Progressive Federation in 1949. He was the chief minister of Tamil Nadu several times, the first being in 1969-71, then in 1971-76, 1989-91, 1996-2001 and finally in 2006-2011. MK Stalin Writes Emotional Letter To DMK Patriarch; Says 'Wanted to Call You Appa Once'.

He was born in a small village in today's eastern Tamil Nadu. Karunanidhi had started working as a screenwriter in the Tamil Nadu film industry at a very young age. The veteran leader had started participating in public protests against the introduction and use of Hindi language in the region when he was a teenager. Karunanidhi was first elected as an independent candidate to the legislative assembly of Madras State in 1957.

After the death of DMK Founder and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Annadurai, Karunanidhi became not only took charge of the party but also became the CM of the state. At the age of 82, he took over as the CM of the state for the fifth time.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 07, 2019 06:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).