Government to observe 3-day mourning for ex-CM

PUDUCHERRY: Former chief minister and DMK leader R V Janakiraman passed away in a private hospital here in the early hours of Monday after a prolonged old age-related illness. He was 78. He breathed his last at 2.30am at Pondicherry institute of medical sciences (Pims) where he was undergoing treatment.
Janakiraman was admitted at Pims at 3am on June 2. He was bed-ridden for a prolonged period due to parkinsonism, seizure disorder and chronic kidney disease.His condition deteriorated at 12.30am on June 10 after he had profound hypotension. He passed away at 2.30am on the same day.
Janakiraman’s body was kept at his residence on Gingee Salai for the public to pay homage until 7pm on Monday.
The last rites will be held in his native village -- Alathur -- in Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu at 10am on Tuesday. DMK president M K Stalin, PMK founder-leader S Ramadoss, Puducherry lieutenant governor Kiran Bedi, chief minister V Narayanasamy and a host of Congress and DMK leaders condoled the death of Janakiraman.
Narayanasamy said the late chief minister would be laid to rest with full state honours. The government will extend a state funeral to the departed leader.
The Puducherry government will observe state mourning for three days from June 10 as a mark of respect to the departed soul. There shall be no official entertainment during the period of state mourning and the national flag will be flown at half-mast for three days from June 10 through the Union territory of Puducherry.
Stalin in his condolence message said late DMK leader M Karunanidhi honoured Janakiramnan with ‘Anna Award’ as early as in 2005. He said Janakiraman remained loyal to Karunanidhi and the party until his last breath and strived hard to develop the party in the Union territory.
Ramadoss while condoling the death of the DMK leader recalled how Janikaraman despite hailing from a simple background worked hard to raise high in the political ladder and became the Puducherry chief minister. Bedi said Puducherry lost one of its veteran political leaders with the passing away of Janakiraman.
"As chief minister of Puducherry and DMK party veteran leader, he was known for its astuteness in politics and administration. My deep condolences to the grieved family members and its followers," she said in the message.
Janakiraman’ had served as Puducherry chief minister between 1996 and 2000. He was elected from Nellithope constituency for five consecutive terms (1985, 1990, 1991, 1996 and 2001). He lost to AIADMK candidate Om Sakthi Sekar in 2006 and 2011 assembly polls. After being diagnosed with parkinsonism, seizure disorder and chronic kidney disease, Janakiraman had not been active in the political sphere for the past few years.