‘Ties intact’,Congress party arrives at big South wedding

The UPA alliance,which was responsible for socio-economic development of the country in the last six and half years,would continue for the next three and a half years,he said speaking at the marriage of chief minister and DMK president M Karunanidhi’s grandson here.

At a glittering function held at the Tamukkam grounds,Dayanidhi Alagiri,son of Union Minister M K Alagiri,got married to Anusha,daughter of a Chennai-based lawyer. The chief minister conducted ‘Seerthirutha Tirumanam’,marriage performed according to one’s self-respect,rejecting all traditional rites and rituals.

Mukherjee said in the coming years the alliance would be able to do much more.

Describing the DMK chief as a “political patriarch of this great country,” Mukherjee praised him for his contributions in the country’s social and political transformation.

“I have great appreciation and respect for Karunanidhi for leading all of us in this country,” he said.

Karunanidhi said the presence of two senior Congress leaders — Mukherjee and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram – and their speeches indicated “how strong and united” the alliance has been between the two parties.

“The presence of Congressmen and DMK men indicated how strong our alliance is,” he said.

He said Mukherjee’s speech “indicated the strong confidence and hope that this alliance should continue for the prosperity and strength of this nation and Tamil Nadu”.

Mukherjee said the very presence of a large number of people,including actor Rajinikanth and distinguished personalities from different walks of life at the function and greetings sent by the Prime Minister and AICC president speaks of something that is very important regarding Karunanidhi’s family and role it had played in public life.

Karunanidhi expressed happiness on being able to see all his family members.

“I may not believe in God,but I do not know whether God believed in me and had entrusted me,among other things,the responsibility of this state. I got everything in my life because of the love and affection of thousands of my ‘Udanpirappu’ (brothers and sisters of DMK party) and the people who have gathered here,” he said.

Describing his son and Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister M K Alagiri as a sugarcane,he said he should be “handled carefully”.

“If you go on eating the sugarcane after finding the root portion of it very sweet,carelessly,then you will cut yourself (in the tongue or the lip) with the sharp blades of the grass in the top portion of the cane,” he said.

“We should use Alagiri to the extent possible,” he said without elaborating on the analogy.

Rajnikanth calls Alagiri,Stalin Karuna’s assets

Filmstar Rajinikanth said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi’s sons M K Alagiri and M K Stalin are his assets. He said these two assets have the responsibility to protect each other.

Participating at the wedding of the Karunanidhi’s grandson here today,he said the chief minister would be really happy about this occasion. ” I feel so happy to playing with my two grandchildren… I can realise how proud and happy the chief minister will feel.”

He said though he had moved more with Stalin than with Alagiri,he found that the latter had the capacity to endear himself to people within a short span.

Rajinikanth also said that Madurai is one of the ‘spiritually powerful cities like Tiruvannamalai and Kasi”.

He recalled that when he first visited the city 32 years ago,he did not even know his birth star. “Later,I came to know it is Tiruvonam,” he said.