CHENNAI: A statue of former chief minister M Karunanidhi will be installed on Anna Salai without violating the Madras High Court verdict on erecting statues on arterial roads, Chief Minister MK Stalin announced in the Assembly on Wednesday. “Legal experts would be consulted to proceed with the plan,” he added.
Nearly 32 years ago, a Karunanidhi statue, which was installed at the entrance of General Patters Road by Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) as per the wish of its founder Periyar EV Ramasamy, was demolished during the violence that broke out following the death of former chief minister MG Ramachandran. Kundrakudi Adigal had unveiled that statue in 1975.
About a photograph showing a boy breaking the statue, Karunanidhi, in his inimitable style, had written then, “I was relieved that the younger brother did not backstab me.... he just stabbed me in my chest.” On Wednesday, DMK MLA TKG Neelamegam referred to this incident and urged the government to install a statue of the late leader on Anna Salai. In response, the Chief Minister said,
“A few days ago, DK president K Veeramani too made this demand to me since installing the statue there was Periyar’s desire. After consulting legal experts, a statue would be installed at a convenient place on Anna Salai.” In 2018, following Karunanidhi’s demise, DK president K Veeramani had announced that DK would install the statue again on Anna Salai.