Karunanidhi enters 50th year as DMK chief, Stalin describes him as "unshakeable force"

DMK president M Karunanidhi today entered his 50th year as the party chief, with his son M K Stalin describing him as an "unshakeable force".

Stalin, the party's working president, took to Twitter to pay tributes to his father, who has been at the party's helm for the last five decades, since the death of its founder and former chief minister CN Annadurai in 1969.

For the past two years, the DMK president has not been making any public appearance owing to ill-health, but he still holds the top post in the Dravidian party.

Karunanidhi has not been keeping well since October 2016. A few days ago, he underwent a procedure to change his tracheostomy tube to help in breathing.

In a tweet, Stalin said his father has been in public life for 80 years, in the entertainment industry for 70 years and in the legislature for 75 years.

"Our dear leader has been an unshakeable force for half-a-century in politics (as DMK chief) by converting challenges into achievements... #Kalaignar50," Stalin tweeted in Tamil.

Karunanidhi is addressed as 'Kalaignar' (artiste) by his supporters, followers and some politicians.

On Wednesday, Stalin had said Karunanidhi was suffering from fever and doctors were providing medication.

The working president had assured people that there was nothing to worry about his father's health, though there was a slight decline in his condition.