Veteran Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader and High-Level Working Committee member L Ganesan, a key figure of the 1965 anti-Hindi agitation, passed away at his residence in Thanjavur during the early hours of Sunday following age-related illness. He was 92.

A staunch Dravidian ideologue, Ganesan was first elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from the Orathanadu constituency in 1967 and went on to represent the seat three times. He also served as a member of the Legislative Council and was elected to the Lok Sabha from Tiruchirappalli in 2004. During the Emergency, he was imprisoned for his political activities.

Following Vaiko’s split from the DMK, Ganesan joined the MDMK and served as its presidium chairman before returning to the DMK in 2008. He is survived by his wife, two sons, and a daughter. His final rites will be held on January 5 at his native village, Kannanthangudi, near Orathanadu.

Condoling his death, MK Stalin, DMK president and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, recalled Ganesan’s leadership during the anti-Hindi agitation and his service as parliamentary secretary to former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in 1989.