Distribution of sweets, welfare assistance and blood donation by party workers were among the highlights of celebrations of the 93rd birthday of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi today.
On the occasion, Karunanidhi, who was state chief minister five times, paid floral tributes at the memorials of DMK founder leader C N Annadurai and rationalist leader E V Ramasamy Periyar here.
Karunanidhi planted a sapling at his CIT colony residence and later a cake was cut in the presence of his family members, including his son and DMK Treasurer M K Stalin.
His daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi greeted him on the occassion. Party leaders like Duraimurugan and T R Baalu also went to his residence and wished him.
DMK West District unit has announced a mega public meeting to be held at the YMCA grounds here later in the evening which will be addressed by Karunanidhi.
Karunanidhi, in his birthday message, urged party cadres to continue to work for the welfare of Tamil Nadu.
Recalling the "sacrifices" of his party for Tamil language, culture and the people, he said, "Let us work untiringly, I invite you with love."
Karunanidhi was Tamil Nadu Chief Minister five times between 1969-71, 1971-76, 1989-91, 1996-2001 and 2006-11.
Even though DMK lost the recent state assembly polls, it has emerged as a strong opposition, winning 89 seats.
Karunanidhi himself won from his native Tiruvarur, defeating AIADMK candidate R Pannerselvam by clocking the highest victory margin of 68,366 votes.
Party headquarters 'Anna Arivalayam' was decked up for the event and has been glittering with decorative lamps since Wednesday night.
DMK treasurer M K Stalin had appealed to party functionaries yesterday to engage themselves in welfare activities like organising blood donation camps and planting saplings.
DMK district units celebrated his birthday by giving away sweets, welfare assistance like text and notebooks to school students and food and clothes to the poor.
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Later, Karunanidhi arrived at the party headquarters and
received a stream of party leaders and workers who greeted him on the occasion.
The spacious hall was decked up with a sparkling vinyl hoarding featuring a beaming Karunanidhi with garlands and the number 93 was embossed on it prominently.
Party functionaries had a tough time in controlling the crowd as partymen kept pouring in to greet the nonagenarian leader with garlands, bouquets, shawls, fruits, books and a host of other gifts.
Former Union ministers A Raja, T R Baalu, party Rajya Sabha MP Tiruchi Siva, former state ministers Duraimurugan, E V Velu were among the party leaders present.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president EVKS Elangovan, senior party leader Peter Alphonse, party whip in Assembly Vijayadharani were among Congress leaders who called on him.
PMK founder Ramadoss and CPI(M) State Secretary G Ramakrishnan greeted Karunanidhi over phone.
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Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah and several
other leaders, including Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, greeted Karunanidhi.
"Rahul Gandhi spoke over phone to Karunanidhi and greeted him," DMK said in statement.
In his birthday message, he also said, "good health should be restored to our democracy's four pillars."
Rahul said, "I would like our youth to take a pledge to do all sacrifices to restore democracy's good health, unite democratic-socialist and secular forces so that it could take deep roots and gain influence in our country."
"Forces inimical to democracy have infiltrated all stratas of our socio-political set-up and were damaging them," DMK said quoting the Congress vice president.
