No politics behind Modi-Jaya meet: BJP

Chennai, Aug 9: BJP today said that the recent meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Jayalithaa was a "courtesy" call and there was "no politics" behind it.

Modi, who was here to launch the National Handloom Day celebrations on August 7, had called on Jayalalithaa at her Poes Garden residence where the AIADMK supremo hosted a lunch for him.

TNCC chief E V K S Elangovan had reportedly said the meeting indicated the possibility of BJP and AIADMK coming together for the assembly polls next year.

Asked about Elangovan and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram's reported comments that Modi's visit to Chennai was only to meet Jayalalithaa, Union Minister and senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu said: "Congress must be speaking out of its experience when they had met madam Jayalalithaaji."

"They should have got some serious hidden pacts. We do not have such habits," he told reporters here and clarified that the meeting between the two leaders was a "courtesy" meeting.

"Prime Minister coming and holding a national event in Chennai one must be happy rather than making political sarcastic comments," he said. "See, August 7 is National handlooms Day. Normally all these national events are held only in Delhi.

But Narendra Modi wanted such important occasions to take place in important parts of the country." "...It is always good that the Chief Minister meets Prime Minister. Why is the Congress worried?

I am not able to understand". BJP state unit chief Tamilisai Soundararajan slammed Elangovan for his remarks, saying "Congress lacked political decency."

Though there was no politics behind the meeting, the leader was attributing reasons and terming it as a "secret partnership," which was the height of "political indecency," she told reporters at Mettupalayam near Coimbatore.

Reiterating that it was just a courtesy call, she said the remarks and congress activists trying to show black flags at the Prime Minister were "condemnable."

PTI