Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday wrote a letter to DMK working president MK Stalin, expressing condolence on the death of M Karunanidhi.
"I am deeply saddened at the passing away of your reverend and beloved father, Thiru M Karunanidhi," she said in the letter,going on to laud the achievements of the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
Gandhi listed Karunanidhi's achievements, reverently called Kalaigner by his supporters.
"Throughout his long and magnificent life, he stood unwavering for social justice and equality, for the development, progress and prosperity of Tamil Nadu.. He was also a brilliant literary figure who did so much to promote Tamil Nadu's rich and distinctive culture and arts, and brought worldwide attention to it."
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Expressing her support for Stalin, Gandhi said she feels the Kalaigner had "full confidence that you (Stalin) would nurture and take forward his legacy."
Gandhi reminisced about her own experienced with the former CM whose party had allied with the Congress several times, saying he was like a "father figure" to her.
Karunanidhi died aged 94 on Tuesday after a prolonged illness. Congress president Rahul Gandhi condoled his demise and said he strode the stage of Tamil politics like a colossus for six decades.
Karunanidhi, who denounced the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi in 1975, formed alliances with the Congress several times, and the UPA government had
several ministers from the DMK.
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In 1980, when he joined hands with the Congress, he exuded warmth for Indira Gandhi with his remark, "Nehruvin Magale Varuga, Nilayana atchi tharuga (welcome, the daughter of Nehru, give us good governance)."
The DMK had walked out of the UPA 2 in 2013 over its "soft stand" on the atrocities on Sri Lankan Tamils in the United Nations.
Karunanidhi suffered a personal jolt when his MP daughter Kanimozhi got embroiled in the 2G spectrum scam along with union minister and DMK leader A Raja.
(Inputs from PTI)
