M Karunanidhi’s official Twitter handle on 26 September posted a photo of the leader after rumours started gaining steam that the DMK patriarch passed away.
The picture also featured his son and party working president MK Stalin and veteran leader K Anbhazagan. Speaking to the media outside Karunanidhi’s Gopalapuram residence, Stalin said that his father was “fine and healthy.”
My father is fine and healthy. Rumours about his death or ill health are completely baseless.MK Stalin, DMK working president
The 93-year-old leader was hospitalised in August for a minor respiratory procedure and was discharged soon after. Since then, the party had not issued any information related to the leader’s health.
According to The Hindu, the rumours started surfacing after Tamil Nadu police issued a circular on 26 September directing all the Special Police battalions to return to their respective headquarters.
The circular also asked for the commissioners to gather their Armed Reserve strength and “meet contingency in their jurisdiction,” triggering panic about the sudden nature of the circular. The police, however, dismissed it as a routine circular.
DMK leader J Anbhazagan demanded that the Tamil Nadu Director General of Police provide reasons for issuing the circular. In a series of tweet, he said that the duty of the police is to “serve people and not create panic.”
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