Chennai : The DMK rallied around MK Stalin, the chosen heir of Kalaignar in the first ever meeting of the party after his passing away, and endorsed his leadership in a firm rejection of any challenge to his anointment as the party chief.

Senior party leader Durai Murugan exhorted all party men and women to strengthen the hands of Stalin as he takes the party forward and fulfils the promise he made to his father Karuanidhi – to bring DMK back to power. The first meeting of executive council of the party after the passing away of Karunanidhi was chaired by DMK working president MK Stalin at party headquarters in Chennai on Tuewsday.

At the executive council meeting, attended by Kanimozhi and all other senior leaders of the party, the mood was very clear – full-fledged support for Stalin who was named as his successor by none other than Karunanidhi. It may be recalled that Karunanidhi had personally expelled MK Alagiri, his elder son, for anti-party activities and also gave a strict warning to party members not to have anything to do with the expelled leader.

Since then, Alagiri has been shooting barbs at the DMK and its younger brother Stalin at every available opportunity. He is not working and the DMK is not winning any more, Alagiri told media persons in what was being seen as the strongest attack within a week of the demise of Karunanidhi, the tallest of leaders from Tamil Nadu in recent years.

Stalin rubbished and thrashed his brother’s outbursts and exhorted party men and women to work harder to shut all critics up.

Stalin made an impassioned speech, full of emotion, recalling how he had “failed his father and could not deliver on his promise of bringing DMK to power. For me he was a father and I am very emotional at this moment. Let us resolve to fulfil Kalaignar’s dream of bringing the party to power, Stalin said.

The DMK working president also used the occasion to hit out against the EPS government for refusing permission for burying Kalaignar at the Marina Beach. People remember this and will not spare the government at the time of elections, he said.

Incidentally, even superstar Rajinikanth slammed EPS for disrespecting Karunanidhi and refusing burial space at Marina Beach.

Rajinikanth’s diatribe was not taken kindly by the government that accused him of playing politics over the death of the tall Dravidian leader. “Now Rajinikanth is wanting to get political benefit from the death of Karunanidhi,” charged state fisheries minister D Jayakumar.