Expelled DMK leader Alagiri leads rally to pay homage to his late father

CHENNAI: A rally with hundreds of supporters was led by expelled DMK leader M K Alagiri on Wednesday for paying homage to his father and late DMK president M Karunanidhi. "The only reason for holding this rally is to pay homage to Kalaignar," he told reporters.

M K Alagiri paid floral tributes to his father on Marina beach which is Karunanidhi’s burial site, after leading the rally accompanied by his son Dhayanidhi Alagiri and daughter Kayalvizhi.

Alagiri had been expelled in the run up to 2014 Lok Sabha elections by Karunanidhi on charges of his involvement in anti-party activities. 

Standing up for him, supporters came in from various parts of Tamil Nadu, expressing unanimity toward the leader's demand to reinstate him in the party.

When he was asked about his supporter being suspended on Tuesday, Alagiri said: "About 1.5 lakh people came here to support me today. Will they be removed (from party)? You ask them (DMK leadership).”

Stalin was elected as president of the party by the DMK general council on August 28.

The sibling rivalry between Alagiri and Stalin from way back had come out less than a week after Karunanidhi’s death on August 13 when it was said by Alagiri that the true loyalists of the late party chief were with him.

But, despite Alagiri's statements that displayed his readiness to work under the leadership of his brother and party president M K Stalin, the DMK decided to keep him off.