Veteran Communist Party of India (CPI) leader R Nallakannu passed away on Wednesday (February 25). He was ill for a long time. He breathed his last at 2 pm in Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital, Chennai. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and leaders of various parties have expressed deep sorrow and grief over the demise of the founder of the communist movement in India.
PM Modi posted tribute on X
Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on Instagram regarding the demise of veteran leader R Nallakannu and wrote, ‘Nallakannu will be remembered for his connection with the grassroots level and his efforts to raise the voice of the underprivileged, workers and farmers. People from every section of the society respected him a lot. His simplicity was equally admirable. My condolences are with his family and fans.
Thiru R. Nallakannu will be remembered for his grassroots connect and efforts to give voice to the underprivileged, workers and farmers. He was widely respected by people from every section of society. Equally noteworthy was his simplicity. My thoughts are with his family and…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 25, 2026
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin expressed grief
Stalin posted on X and wrote, we all are deeply saddened by the news of the demise of senior leader Comrade Nallakannu. He was a steadfast warrior of our times, a great sacrifice, who devoted most of his life to the cause of the independence of the nation and the welfare of the working class. He was a person who stuck to his principles. He always had affection and love towards me. He wholeheartedly welcomed the plans we made after establishing the Dravidian model rule.
“Though one eye does not have perfect vision, there is another eye in the other eye. That is नल्लकण्ग्णु” said முத்தமிழறிண்டர கலிர் முதுபெத்து முத்துபேதரம் Leader – Comrade திரு. नल्लकण्ग्नु अय्या वह अन्यावुऱायर निशेष न्या हैं नामाची कल्ली तथा दूष्ठ तथा… pic.twitter.com/tLQhQFQ0SA
— MKStalin February 25, 2026
The funeral will be held with state honors
Let us tell you that on February 1, Nalakannu was admitted to the hospital due to health related problems. Where he was shifted to ICU. Even after 24 days of treatment, his condition continued to fluctuate. He breathed his last on 25 December. The state government will bid farewell to Nallakannu with state honours. Chief Minister MK Stalin has given this information in his post on Instagram.
