Sonia Gandhi to attend M Karunanidhi's statue unveiling function on Dec 16

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi will take part in the unveiling of late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi's statue here on December 16, the party announced Thursday. Gandhi has accepted the invitation extended to her to attend the event at the DMK headquarters here, expected to be held in the presence of a galaxy of national level leaders of various political parties.

"Unveiling his statue at your party headquarters will be a fitting tribute to Kalaignar (Karunaidhi). It is an honour for me to accept your invitation," she said in a letter to DMK chief and Karunaidhi's son M K Stalin. Gandhi, also the chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party, in her letter November 26 letter, a copy of which was released to media by the DMK, said Karunanidhi would always be remembered as a "great son of soil who dedicated his life to the welfare of the underprivileged, to social justice and to upholding the spirit of our democracy."

Stalin, whose party is a staunch ally of Congress, had on November 11 written to Gandhi requesting her to take part in the statue unveiling event. "A life size statue of Kalaignar will be unveiled by all India leaders," the party had said in a statement. Karunanidhi passed away on August 7 this year aged 94 following prolonged illness.

(With inputs from agencies.)