Ex-DMK min passes away, Karunanidhi pays homage

Chennai: DMK chief M. Karunanidhi paid homage to party’s deputy general secretary Sarguna Pandian who passed away on Saturday morning.

She was a minister in the DMK government from 1996 to 2001 and an MLA from 1989 to 1991. She was elected from R.K. Nagar both the times and her daughter-in-law Simla Muthu Chozhan contested in the constituency against Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa in the 2016 Assembly polls.

Announcing Sarguna Pandian’s demise, the party headquarters, in a statement here announced three days of mourning and asked partymen to fly the DMK flags at half-masts. The party had postponed all its functions for three days.
Karunanidhi along with party treasurer M.K. Stalin and other functionaries visited the deceased DMK functionary’s house and paid homage.

In his condolence message, Karunanidhi said Sarguna Pandian began her political career as an orator at a young age. She was a member of the women’s sing and rose to the post of women’s wing president. In the party hierarchy, she became the deputy general secretary. She performed well in the posts she held and earned the respect of all partymen, he said.

Though, she was ill for the last few years, she did not fail to attend the party functions. Karunanidhi said and recalled that Sarguna Pandian’s father Ponnusamy belonged to the self-respect movement.  Describing Sarguna as a light of the Dravidian movement, the DMK president said she was praised by party founder Anna as ‘Sollin Selvi. She led the women’s wing in all the party agitations and was imprisoned. She had also organised the party’s women wing zonal meets.