Chennai (Tamil Nadu): K Anbazhagan, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) General Secretary for 43 years, passed away here on Saturday at the age of 97.

He breathed his last at Apollo Hospitals in Chennai, following a prolonged illness.

Anbazhagan was the General Secretary of DMK for nine times from 1977. He was a nine-time MLA, one-time Lok Sabha member and former finance minister of Tamil Nadu and a close friend of former Chief Minister late Karunanidhi.

He was called Peraasiriyar (professor) as he worked as a lecturer in Pachayappa college from 1944 to 1957, later he resigned and contested election.

DMK President MK Stalin released a statement on DMK Anbazhagan’s death on Saturday.

“DMK condoles the demise of General Secretary K. Anbazhagan. DMK postpones all its party functions for 1 week and all DMK flags to fly half-mast for a week,” the statement read. (ANI)