TN bids adieu to centenarian Communist leader Nallakannu, accorded full state honours

Chennai, Feb 26 (PTI) Hundreds of leaders, cadres and the public joined Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin in bidding adieu to centenarian Communist leader R Nallakannu on Thursday.

The government accorded full state honours to the veteran leader of the CPI who died on February 25, due to age-related ailments. He breathed his last at 1.55 pm at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital here.

As announced by the chief minister, the police personnel gave a 72-gun salute and sounded the bugle as a mark of respect to the leader whose mortal remains were kept at Balan Illam, the CPI party headquarters in T Nagar here for the public to pay homage.

Besides Stalin, CPI general secretary D Raja, state secretary M Veerapandian, MDMK chief Vaiko, and several leaders and cadres were present on the occasion.

Nallakannu’s body was draped in the party flag and taken in a procession in which hundreds of party members participated.

The body was later handed over to the Madras Medical College authorities for research, as per the wish of the stalwart.

Earlier, the chief minister paid his last respects by placing a wreath on Nallakannu’s mortal remains and hailed him as "lifelong warrior." Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, several leaders from various political parties and film personalities, including superstar Rajinikanth and actor-politician Kamal Haasan, and TVK founder Vijay, paid their last respects at the party office.

"Comrade Nallakannu had become a legend of the Communist movement. He undertook agitations for the upliftment of the Dalits, and oppressed sections and strived to establish social justice and secularism," MDMK chief Vaiko said.

Vice President C P Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Union Minister L Murugan, Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami were among the leaders who had earlier paid their rich tributes to Nallakannu. PTI JSP JSP KH