News Tamil Nadu

“Wonderful, Charming, Not Kalaignar Samadhi But Kalaignar Taj Mahal”: Rajinikanth Hails Memorial Built For Late DMK Patriarch Karunanidhi On Taxpayer’s Money

February 27, 2024
The Commune

On 26 February 2024, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin officially unveiled the refurbished memorial dedicated to the founder of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), C N Annadurai, along with a new memorial erected in honor of former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on the Marina beach.

The memorial dedicated to the former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi incorporates an underground digital museum that displays his tenure through touchscreen exhibits. In addition to this, the sea-facing Karunanidhi memorial, built on 8.57 acres of land at the Anna complex on Kamarajar Salai at a cost of ₹39 crore, features a library and selfie points. Positioned in proximity, the memorial for former Chief Minister C N Annadurai stands in front of Karunanidhi’s memorial.

While the unveiling of the refurbished memorial was unexpected, Chief Minister Stalin announced in the state legislative assembly that the inauguration would take place on February 26. In response to a query from DMK MLA N Ezhilan, Stalin clarified, “I am addressing this here because the state government has not issued any invitations for the inauguration. We have chosen to conduct the memorial’s inauguration as an event rather than a formal function. I extend an invitation to all MLAs, whether from opposition parties or those in alliance with us, through the assembly speaker.”

During the event, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin was accompanied by his Cabinet minister, various leaders, and Tamil film star Rajinikanth, who wore a black shirt as a symbol of support. Surprisingly, the Congress was the only party absent from the gathering. Following the tribute to Annadurai’s statue, the Chief Minister revealed a sculpture commemorating his father, the former DMK president, Karunanidhi.

When questioned by reporters about his participation in the event, actor Rajinikanth responded, “Yes sir, have seen all the mausoleums, it is amazing, charming, more like a Kalaingar’s Taj Mahal than a kalaingar’s mausoleums.”

However, netizens expressed discontent, asserting that Tamil Nadu has been excessively focused on statues and memorials. They questioned the allocation of funds for the new memorial and strongly criticized the government. They pointed out that the ruling state government had previously raised similar concerns about the central government, emphasizing the extravagant spending of taxpayers’ money.

An online user queried the memorial by referencing the video of the memorial and Rajini’s speech, posing the question, “Who is spending for this, DMK or taxpayers?”

 

Another online user conveyed their frustration, questioning “Why are we suddenly falling in love with memorials? I am against turning Marina Beach into a graveyard“

Another online user conveyed their frustration, stating, “This is really too much. I don’t know whose father’s house money this is. Not a martyr of freedom struggle, Have not done anything for the country. It is as if they will usurp the whole of Chennai.”

Another online user recalled occasions when advocates of Dravidian ideology suggested that instead of constructing a Ram temple, resources could be utilized to build schools, libraries, and hospitals. The user expressed, “Come and stand in line who said that the cost of building a Ram temple can be built, a school and a hospital can be built.”

Another online user conveyed frustration, asking, “On whose money did you refurbish? with DMK party money?

Did you get people’s permission to renew with people’s tax money? Have you ever visited the Raja Raja Cholan Memorial?”

It is to be noted that the late former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, who passed away, was laid to rest with full state honors at Marina Beach, alongside his mentor and DMK founder Annadurai. Memorials for both leaders were previously built at the Marina Beach site in Chennai. 

About Karunanidhi

Born as Dakshinamurthy, Karunanidhi went on to become the DMK president after CN Annadurai. Karunanidhi has made several controversial statements regarding Hindus and Hinduism. One such remark in 2002, Karunanidhi referred to Hindus as ‘thieves’.

At that time, Karunanidhi argued that all he said was that even those who supported the Hindu religion interpret the word Hindu as thief. “Maybe it means someone who steals the heart.”, he had said during the controversy.

In 2007 the plan Sethusamudram project was withdrawn due to technical difficulties of shallow water. At the backdrop, Karunanidhi rhetorically asked, “Who is this Raman? In which engineering college did he study and become a civil engineer? When did he build this so-called bridge? Is there any evidence for this?“.

Karunanidhi has also written short stories and sometimes employed Hindu deities as characters in his stories, often distorting and misrepresenting them to fictionalize his sexual perversion.

Subscribe to our channels on Telegram and WhatsApp and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.