Karunanidhi memorial inauguration in TN's Tiruvarur: Nitish indisposed, cancels visit

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who was supposed to inaugurate the late DMK President M Karunanidhi’s memorial, Kalaignar Kottam, in Tiruvarur district in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday (June 20), has excused himself from attending the function, according to highly placed sources. There was no official word on the reason for the cancellation of Kumar’s visit, but sources said the septuagenarian, who has been busy with preparations for the June 23 opposition meet, felt “unwell and needed rest”.

While Nitish Kumar changed his programme at the eleventh hour, his deputy Tejashwi Yadav and cabinet colleague Sanjay Jha left for the southern city as per schedule.

Tejashwi Yadav will open the Muthuvelar Library, which is also located in Karunanidhi’s native district, said a senior JD (U) leader.

Kumar and Yadav had been invited to the inauguration of initiatives in memory of late DMK president M Karunanidhi, a former chief minister of Tamil Nadu and Stalin’s father.

According to party insiders, the leaders from Bihar will be in Chennai at the invitation of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin.

A kottam in Tamil refers to a structure built in memory of someone highly respected.

Also read: 4 tasks that could challenge Nitish Kumar at June 23 Patna Opposition meet

The Bihar leaders are expected to hold talks with Stalin ahead of the June 23 meeting of Opposition leaders in Patna, he said. The meeting of the Opposition parties will be held at the official residence of the Bihar CM in Patna.

Besides Stalin, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, and some more Opposition leaders have sent their consent to attend the meeting.

At the June 23 meeting, apart from bringing all the Opposition leaders together under one roof to project a united face against the Narendra Modi-led Union government, Nitish Kumar has his task cut out for him, as he has to try and end the internal contradictions among some of the regional and national parties.

(With agency inputs)