DMK's articulate MLA in Assembly, Anbazhagan dies of COVID-19

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Chennai, Jun 10 () After battling COVID-19 for eight days, DMK legislator and the main opposition party's noted articulate member in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, J Anbazhagan died here on Wednesday at a private hospital.

The 62-year old MLA, "who has been fighting for his life with severe COVID-19 pneumonia rapidly deteriorated early this morning.

Inspite of full medical support, including mechanical ventilation at our COVID-19 facility, he succumbed to his illness," Dr Rela Institute and Medical Centre said in a statement condoling his death. Anbazhagan, who had co-morbidities including chronic kidney disease was put on ventilator support on June 3 -a day after his admission- as his respiratory distress worsened.

Subsequently, though he showed improvement with his oxygen requirement sliding to half, his health condition deteriorated significantly on Monday.

His oxygen requirement went up once again and his cardiac function and chronic kidney disease also deteriorated and he was declared critical.

Initially, on admission, he was managed with high flow oxygen therapy through facemask.

He had undergone liver transplant about 15 years ago and he was on medication for that.

Chief Minister K Palaniswami said Anbazhagan was a leading DMK functionary and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family and party workers.

A three-time MLA, Anbazhagan, born on June 10, 1958 incidentally died on his 62nd birthday today and he is the son of late Pazhakadai Jayaraman, a veteran Dravidian movement and DMK leader here.

A bold and senior party functionary here, he was the Chennai West District Secretary and he has successfully organised a slew of party events and is close to party chief M K Stalin.

A backbencher in the Assembly, Anbazhagan is among DMK's noted articulate members in the House and he had often locked horns with ministers and ruling AIADMK MLAs over several issues.

A vocal critic of the AIADMK government, he tore a copy of Governor Barwarilal Purohit's address to the Assembly in January this year and put it on the table of Speaker P Dhanapal and he was briefly suspended.

He was elected to the Assembly from here in 2001 (T Nagar), 2011 and 2016 (Chepauk-Triplicane).

DMK President M K Stalin condoled Anbazhagan's death and paid rich tributes to him.

Expressing shock, Stalin said Anbazhagan slogged without respite to carry out the anti-COVID-19 people's welfare initiatives of the party.

Christened 'Ondrinaivom Vaa' which meant let us join to fight coronavirus, it is a DMK's relief initiative. The MLA contracted the virus during his fully dedicated work for the people during the times of the pandemic, Stalin said.

Party flags will fly at half-mast for three days and party organised welfare events were being postponed, the DMK chief said.

Health Minister C Vijayabaskar who had days ago visited the hospital where the MLA was treated said on his twitter handle, "I am deeply saddened about the loss of Mr.#JAnbazhagan MLA this morning.

My heartfelt condolences to his family, people of his constituency and his party. May his soul rest in peace. #RIP #JAnbazhagan." VGN ROH ROH