Chennai: Parithi Ilamvazhuthi, who took on the AIADMK as the lone DMK member in the Assembly during the Jayalalithaa rule in 1991-96, died here of cardiac arrest early hours of Saturday. He was 58.
Family sources said Parithi developed acute pain in the chest and was rushed to Malar hospital in Adyar but died on the way.
Starting his political career at the age of 25, Parithi served six terms as DMK legislator representing Egmore constituency since 1989. His tenure as the lone ranger for DMK in the legislature, when it was routed in the 1991 elections after being accused of complicity in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, won him admiration not only from DMK chief M Karunanidhi, who hailed him as ‘Veera Abhimanyu’ and ‘Indrajit’, but also the admiration of the tough AIADMK Chief Minister Jayalalithaa who often enjoyed his oratory skills and quick repartee even amid the heckling from the bloated ruling benches.
The DMK had won only two seats in the 1991 polls and the other party MLA, Karunanidhi, resigned his seat as he did not want to face the ‘brute’ majority of the AIADMK in the House.
Jayalalithaa later wooed Parithi over to her party (June 2013) as his differences with Stalin became loud and clear. She even rewarded him with the post of chief executive committee member of the party within a day of joining. After her death, he went with OPS and was expelled for anti-party activities. He then moved to TTV Dhinakaran and was made the organising secretary of the AMMK.
Parithi was Deputy Speaker in the Assembly during 1996-2001 and state information minister during 2006-11.
Stalin and Dhinakaran were among the many who condoled Parithi’s death and placed wreaths on his body at his Besant Nagar residence here. Recalling how Parithi had worked alongside him for decades to nurture the growth of the DMK youth wing, Stalin said, “His death is shocking and I am grieved. We will never forget the love he had for Kalaignar, though he wavered later because of political and other reasons”, he said.
“Parithi's passing away is an irreparable loss for the party. He worked for the party even disregarding his health,” AMMK deputy general secretary Dhinakaran said.
