Bengaluru, Aug 8: Karnataka is observing mourning as a mark of respect to veteran politician and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, who died in a Hospital at Chennai yesterday.
The Karnataka State government has declared one day mourning and has cancelled all official programmes. National flag has been ordered to fly half-mast at Vidhana Soudha, the State Secretariat and in other Government Offices.
Describing the DMK patriarch as ‘a living legend’, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said that he strove for the development of Tamil Nadu throughout his life and built a stronghold for the regional party DMK.
“I had met him several times. Every time he made me understand the importance of regional parties. The popular schemes he implemented for the downtrodden are replicated in various States today,” he said, adding that DMK was a prominent coalition partner during the period of the H.D. Deve Gowda-led government at the Centre.
Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda said that the country had lost a visionary leader in Karunanidhi’s death.
Dinesh Gundu Rao, president, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), in a tweet described Karunanidhi as ‘a true inheritor of the Dravidian movement’ who also played a significant role at the national level.
Recalling the support extended by Karunanidhi in installing a statue of 12th century saint-poet Sarvajna in Chennai, State BJP president B.S. Yeddyurappa said Karunanidhi played an important role in creating harmony between the people of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu with this gesture.
When the statue of Tamil poet-saint Thiruvalluvar was unveiled near Ulsoor in a similar gesture in 2009, Karunanidhi was present in Bengaluru. He had said the unveiling of Thiruvalluvar’s statue here and that of Sarvajna in Chennai scheduled was “a fine example of cooperation between States in India.... We have created avenues for cooperation between the two States.”
Speaking of Sarvajna, he had said, “Sarvajna belonged to an oppressed community and his work reflected his progressive ideals. That is why he finds a place in the hearts of the people of both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.”
The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) cancelled its services to Tamil Nadu on Tuesday night. The decision was taken based on an advisory by our counterparts in Tamil Nadu, an official said.
KSRTC operates 432 buses to various parts of Tamil Nadu daily, of which 87 are Chennai-bound operations. “Service will resume once we hear from the Tamil Nadu transport authorities,” a KSRTC official said.
Buses operated on Tuesday will remain in Tamil Nadu with police protection. Buses to Kerala are being operated via Mysuru, and operations via Salem have been stopped. About 150-160 night buses have been stopped, officials said. However, private vehicles are being allowed to cross borders.
The district police have stepped up security along the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border as a precautionary measure.
Security cover has been provided to Karunanidhi’s daughter’s house in Byappanahalli in Bengaluru.
T.P. Shivakumar, Superintendent of Police, Bengaluru district, has advised all DSPs to deploy additional police personnel. “Security has been strengthened not just along border areas but also in localities where Tamilians are staying in large numbers,” said a senior police officer.
Another senior police officer said that all liquor shops near the border areas were asked to down shutters. “The situation is peaceful in rural areas. We have also spoken to our counterparts in Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu,” the official added.
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