Kanyakumari: A senior BJP leader today dismissed any political significance in Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling on the DMK supremo M Karunanidhi in Chennai and described it as a courtesy call.
As the prime minister of the country, Modi wanted to meet the ailing Karunanidhi during his visit to Chennai yesterday and pay his respects and also to enquire about his health condition. That was what happened, Union Minister of state Pon Radha Krishnan told reporters here.
Modi even invited Karunanidhi to his house in New Delhi, Radhakrishnan, who accompanied the Prime Minister during the meeting said in response to a question.
“It has become a practice now to attach significance to even such meetings, where the prime minister has expressed heartfelt wishes…one can see how Modi was moved on seeing Karunanidhi…it was a moving meeting. One should see only that,” he said.
Modi met the 93-year old leader, who is wheelchair-bound, at his residence in Gopalapuram here, taking time-off during his one-day visit to the city yesterday during which he attended the 75th anniversary celebrations of Tamil daily Dina Thanthi.
It was the first meeting between the two leaders after Modi became the prime minister in May 2014.
The DMK has also indicated that not much should be read in the meeting between the two and that it was a courtesy call.
Party working president M K Stalin said Modi did not come with any political intentions to meet his father and did not talk politics.
Modi only enquired about Kalaignar’s (Karunandhi) health, he said adding only the media was thinking that there was a political angle to the meeting.
Radhakrishnan said the BJP wanted to emerge as the prime political party of Tamil Nadu before the next elections and it was working hard in that direction.
PTI