Karunanidhi burial: DMK criticises AIADMK over 'double standards'

As the hearing on Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's (DMK) plea demanding burial space for its chief M Karunanidhi at Chennai's Marina beach is currently underway before the Madras High Court, the party's lawyer Saravanan has accused the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) for showing "double standards" over the issue.

In an interview with ANI, Sarvanan said: "The AIADMK government does not have the courage to claim that it's a political decision. They are hiding behind legal niceties, which we exposed inside the court yesterday. Lakhs of cases are pending before the High Court. Has the government come to a grinding halt? Why these double standards?"

Sarvanan further claimed that Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami is feeling threatened by the cases filed by the DMK. "The government is proposing to construct a 3,400-3,500 square feet building for Jayalalithaa's memorial, but is refusing to give 6 feet of land for Karunanidhi. How are we violating any legal provision? Is there any prohibition in giving that land for our leader (Karunanidhi). Jayalalithaa was allotted the land just a year back," he said.

However, the state government in its counter affidavit told the Court that DMK can't challenge press release issued on their behalf expressing inability to allot space at Marina beach for Karunanidhi.

It further added that Karunanidhi himself didn't allot land for former Chief Minister Janaki Ramachandran after understanding the protocol manual when he was the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister in May 1996.

On Tuesday, the DMK filed a plea in the court after state government denied burial space for Karunanidhi near Anna Memorial at Marina beach owing to pending petitions against burial on Marina beach.

Karunanidhi breathed his last on Tuesday at Chennai's Kauvery Hospital. His funeral will be held with full state honours on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, security has been heightened at Marina Beach as hearing in the case is underway before the Madras High Court.

--ANI