Modi springs a surprise, visits Karunanidhi at Gopalapuram

CHENNAI: In a surprise move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in the city to take part in two events on Monday, drove to Gopalapuram to visit DMK president and five-time chief minister M Karunanidhi to enquire about his health.

Accompanied by Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Union Minister for Defence Nirmala Seetharaman, Minister of State for Finance and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan and State BJP president Tamilisai Soundararajan, the PM stepped into the Gopalapuram residence of the DMK patriarch at noon.
Karunanidhi presented Modi an English version of his book Kuraloviyam, an interpretation in story form of Tamil classic Tirukkural and the souvenir released on the occasion of the platinum jubilee of DMK mouthpiece Murasoli during the 15-minute-long meeting of the two top leaders.
The Prime Minister was quoted as having invited Karunanidhi to his residence for taking rest.
“Prime Minister invited the DMK leader to come to his residence and take rest there,” Tamilisai Soundarrajan told reporters. She noted that Modi recalled a meeting he had with the DMK chief in Delhi in the past.

The Prime Minister also had a word with Karunanidhi’s ailing wife Dayalu Ammal.
Earlier, DMK working president and Leader of Opposition M K Stalin received the PM and led him upstairs where his father has been staying. Karunanidhi’s daughter and Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi was also present during the Prime Minister’s visit.
Several BJP cadre rushed to Gopalapuram after hearing about their leader’s visit there. Holding placards and flags, they raised slogans hailing Modi and the BJP for a while much to the chagrin of DMK men whose strength was sparse there.

Ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit to Gopalapuram, Stalin cut short his sojourn in UAE by a day and rushed back to Chennai early on Monday, party sources said, adding that in fact, he had left on a four-day overseas tour in order to avoid sharing dais with Modi at the ‘Daily Thanthi’ platinum jubilee celebrations as he had been a vocal critic of the Prime Minister and his policies.

He didn’t come with a political motive: Stalin
Chennai: Seeking to downplay the prime minister’s meeting with Karunanidhi, his son and party leader M K Stalin said Modi did not come to Chennai to talk politics. “He had come only to see and enquire about the health of ‘Kalaignar’. He did not come with a political motive and did not talk politics,” Stalin told reporters after visiting flood-hit areas in the Kolathur Assembly segment on Monday evening. Referring to the criticism of his foreign tour at a time when Chennai and its suburbs were affected by floods, Stalin replied that he did not go for either entertainment or enjoyment but to take part in a book fair organised by the government in Sharjah.

MK appears in public, waves at party cadre
Chennai: Much to the delight of his partymen, DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi on Monday made a public appearance at his Gopalapuram residence minutes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on him. Accompanied by his son M K Stalin and senior party leader Durai Murugan and a few other family members, he chose to move to the main door of his house and waved his hand towards the party cadre, evoking cheerful response. The DMK men lost no time in raising slogans hailing their leader as soon as they spotted him.

Chief Minister briefs Modi on Rain situation

9.06 am: PM reaches Chennai. Received by Governor, CM, Deputy CM & ministers  
9.50 am: Arrives at INS Adyar by chopper, holds talks with CM Palaniswami and Dy CM Panneerselvam on the damage caused by rain. CM requested a J1,500-crore fund from Centre
10.25 am: PM leaves for Univ of Madras to attend Dhina Thanthi platinum jubilee event
10.32 am-11.32 am: In his speech at the event, Modi advises media to move beyond politics and politicians and ensure their content is people-centric and editorial freedom must be used wisely
11.33 am: Attends wedding ceremony of the daughter of T V Somanathan, a sr PMO official
12.13 pm: Arrives at Gopalapuram residence of DMK president M Karunanidhi
12.26 pm: Leaves for INS Adyar.