Muthuvel Karunanidhi, Tamil Nadu's 'Kalaignar', dies at 94

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief and five-time chief minister of Tamil Nadu Muthuvel Karunanidhi passed away today in Kauvery Hospital, Chennai. He was 94.

According to the hospital, Karunanidhi breathed his last at 6:10pm. "Despite the best possible efforts by our team of doctors and nurses to resuscitate him, he failed to respond," the hospital said in a statement.

"We profoundly mourn the loss of one of the tallest leaders of India and we share the grief of family members and fellow Tamilians worldwide," a press release by Dr Aravindan Selvaraj, Executive Director of Kauvery Hospital, said.

M Karunanidhi was rushed to hospital from Gopalapuram residence in Chennai last month following a sudden drop in blood pressure.

The DMK chief was admitted to Kauvery hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and was there since then.

The nonagenarian leader was suffering from fever and infection for the past few days and was being treated round-the-clock by a team of hospitals and nursing professionals at his house prior to being admitted to the hospital.

Security has been beefed up across the state in the wake of his death.

Thousands of troops are patrolling the streets across Tamil Nadu to prevent any untoward incident. A large number of DMK supporters have gathered outside the Kauvery hospital as well as his house where Tamil Nadu Police's commando force is keeping a tight watch.

Born as Daksinamoorthy on June 3, 1924 in Thirukkuvalai, Tamil Nadu, Karunanidhi's political journey began when he was just 14 - a legacy that went on for over half a century making him one of strongest political leaders in the country.

Karunanidhi's early life saw him as a budding screenwriter for a number of Tamil movies until he made way to Parliament in the year 1957 after winning from Kulithalai.

The veteran politician pioneered the Dravidian movement. He took over the party reins and assumed office as Tamil Nadu's third chief minister after DMK founder and first state Chief Minister CN Annadurai died in 1969.

Karunanidhi's political journey was nothing short of a rollercoaster ride, from getting jailed on corruption charges in the year 2001 to assuming power as Tamil Nadu's chief minister for the fifth time in 2011, Tamil Nadu's 'Kalaignar' leaves behind a political legacy that is now set to go his son and DMK working president MK Stalin.

Karunanidhi married thrice and had six children. Shortly before his unfortunate demise, he completed 50 years as the DMK chief.