Vijayakanth cremation in Party office - Rajinikanth rushes back

Captain’ Vijayakanth is Tamil Nadu’s First VIP victim of COVID 19. According to his party DMDK press release that the party President- Founder tested positive on December 27th and was put on ventilator since he was suffering from respiratory problems including pneumonia. He breathed his last today morning at MIOT Hospital. Rajinikanth who is in Thoothukudi on Wednesday had shifted to Nagercoil for Vettaiyan shoot. He has decided to leave for Chennai today to be at the funeral of Vijayakanth that will take place tomorrow at DMDK office in Koyambedu.( near Central Bus Stand) Vijayakanth wife Premalatha who is general secretary of DMDK had asked the CM office if her husband could be given a public place where he could be cremated. In other words, she was asking for a Government land which could be the cremation ground and later a memorial maintained by State. However, State Government had declined this and offered Rajaji Hall to keep Vijayakanth body for public view. This Hall was where MGR, Karunanidhi last remains were kept for public viewing and later buried in Marina Beach. Marina Beach has Anna, MGR and Karunanidhi Memorials. State Government has announced a full State honours. When DMK sought Marina Beach to be resting place for Karunanidhi, then CM EPS objected and offered instead land in Gandhi Mandapam near Raj Bhavan. Here were the memorials for Ex TN CM’s C Rajaji and K Kamaraj was built. Apart from this AIADMK Government pointed out that there was already five PIL’s filed by DMK leaders against constructing a Jayalalitha Memorial in Marina. The five PIL’s were withdrawn and High Court directed State Government to allot space in Marina for Karunanidhi. Vijayakanth was Opposition Leader and is now not an MLA too. Premalatha has decided to cremate her hubby in the compound of the party office. Stalin turned up to pay his last respects. DMDK had not aligned with DMK but did so with AIADMK and that alliance gave Vijayakanth the Opposition Leader post and pushed Stalin to back benches with Jayalalithaa as CM. As Vijayakanth started taking his Opposition role seriously, AMMA had no place for him. From then onwards, DMDK never tasted success and aligned with a BJP alliance and also with Left Parties, MDMK, VCK and even with SDPI and AMMK and MIM. Most of the parties believed that aligning with DMDK would give it the winning edge. With alliance deal with DMK- Congress falling through and having burnt the bridges with AIADMK, DMDK suffered as Vijayakanth underwent an organ transplant and since then he was a showpiece that his wife and brother – in – law showed often to party workers to show all is well. A week back, a similar drama was staged with a physically weak Vijayakanth on stage and his wife Premalatha getting elevated to General Secretary. His two sons have not been able to step into Dad’s shoes. Saddest part is that the actor’s association Nadigar Sangham which was neck deep in debts and facing a bank auction was revived under Vijayakanth’s Presidentship ,is caught in internal politics and not in a position to offer a space to keep the body of the actor in it’s premises for a public viewing.