DMK President and Chief Minister M K Stalin turned 70 on Wednesday and his party and supporters are celebrating his birthday across Tamil Nadu with fervour and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a host of leaders wished him on the occasion.
President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar wrote to Stalin, greeting him on his birthday.
Stalin cut a cake in the presence of party leaders led by veteran Duraimurugan and he laid wreaths at the samadhis of former Chief Ministers M Karunanidhi and CN Annadurai on the Marina beachfront and visited the reformist leader Periyar E V Ramasamy's memorial here and offered floral tributes.
The CM planted a sapling and gifted saplings to party workers and others who visited him.
Prime Minister Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi spoke to Stalin over phone and conveyed their birthday wishes to him.
Modi and Rahul Gandhi tweeted, extending their greetings.
'Dravida Nayagan' which means 'Dravidian hero' and Dravida Perarasar (great Dravidian emperor) and 'Dravidian model Chief Minister' are among the choice terms used by DMK and Stalin's admirers to hail him on his birthday.
Gold rings to newborns, saplings to farmers, blood donation camps, hosting community baby shower events, assistance including providing notebooks to students, community lunch, eye care service by holding eye camps are among the many dozens of state-wide events that are being organised by the DMK to celebrate Stalin's birthday.
Governors of Tamil Nadu and Telangana R N Ravi and Tamilisai Soundararajan respectively and Chief Ministers of Telangana (K Chandrasekhar Rao), Andhra Pradesh (YS Jagan Mohan Reddy) Kerala (Pinarayi Vijayan) and Delhi (Arvind Kejriwal) greeted Stalin.
CPI general secretary D Raja, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president KS Alagiri, MDMK chief Vaiko, CPI leaders including State Secretary R Mutharasan, CPI(M) State Secretary K BalakrishnanIndian, Union Muslim League leader KM Khader Mohideen, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi president Thol Thirumavalavan were among a string of leaders who called on Stalin here to greet him.
Chairman emeritus, TVS Motor Company, Venu Srinivasan and CMD of TAFE, Mallika Srinivasan called on him.
CPI(M) top leader Sitaram Yechury, Union Minister of State L Murugan, PMK founder leader S Ramadoss, Makkal Needhi Maiam chief and actor Kamal Haasan, superstar Rajinikanth spoke over phone and conveyed their wishes.
Kundrakudi Aadheenam pontiff Ponnambala Adigalar was among others who greeted Stalin.
A mega public rally is scheduled to be held here this evening by the ruling party and senior political leaders including Congress president Mallikarjuna Kharge are set to take part.
Jammu Kashmir National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, Bihar Deputy CM and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav would participate.
Stalin would be felicitated by the leaders and DMK general secretary Duraimurugan and treasurer T R Baalu are among the party leaders who would be present to honour the party chief at the YMCA ground here.
A large number of party workers are set to participate in the public meeting here. #HBDMKStalin70 is trending on Twitter.
