Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 9 (ANI): DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Wednesday expressed grief on the demise of senior Congress leader and Tamil scholar Aiya Kumari Ananthan.

Kumari Ananthan, who passed away at the age of 93, due to age-related illness, was the father of Tamil Nadu BJP leader Tamilisai Soundarajan.

Kumari Ananthan was a member of the Tamil Nadu Assembly five times and a Congress Lok Sabha MP from the Nagarkoil constituency in 1977.

His body will be kept for homage at his daughter's residence in Chennai Saligramam.

Taking to social media X, the DMK MP in a post wrote that Ananthan had a great influence on the politics of Tamil Nadu and had a strong devotion to Mahatma Gandhi.

'I am saddened to hear the news of the passing of senior Congress leader and Tamil scholar Aiya Kumari Ananthan. The leader was very fond of the artist and the commander. She always treated me with great affection.

He had a great influence on Tamil Nadu politics with his strong devotion to Gandhiji and the great leader Kamaraj. He was a Tamil rights fighter who secured the right for Tamil Nadu parliamentarians to raise questions in Tamil. His demise is a great loss to the Tamil community,' the post read.

She also expressed her condolences to Soundarajan and his family.

'I would like to express my deepest condolences to His Excellency@DrTamilisai4BJPincluding his family and supporters, at this sad time,' the post further read.

Earlier in the day, BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan expressed profound grief over the demise of her father, Kumari Ananthan, in a heartfelt note posted on X.

In her emotional tribute, she wrote, 'I do not speak Tamil because I learned it... I speak Tamil because Tamil gave birth to me.

'It was my father, Mr. Kumari Ananthan, who made me speak Tamil with pride. Today, he has joined my mother. blending into eternity' (ANI)