Madurai man lauded by PM Modi denies joining BJP

MADURAI: Salon owner C Mohan, who was lauded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Mann Ki Baat speech on Sunday, refuted the claims of BJP functionaries in Madurai that he, along with his family members, joined the BJP. Mohan, who had saved Rs 5 lakh for the higher studies of his daughter, had spent the amount helping the needy during the lockdown.

He came to the limelight after the PM mentioned him in Mann Ki Baat. Since Sunday morning, friends, relatives, acquaintances, officials, and functionaries of various political parties have been visiting his family.

Meanwhile, a message, circulated on social media by the BJP functionaries, read that Mohan volunteered to join the party after BJP’s State unit President L Murugan greeted him over phone. The photographs of his family receiving the membership card was also spread.

Speaking to TNIE, Mohan said that the functionaries of BJP’s district unit visited him on Sunday. “They gave us a card, which I assumed to be a greeting card given as a note of appreciation, and accepted it,” he said.

He added that he had customers with different political affiliations and did not want to be tagged under one party. However, BJP’s district unit functionaries claimed that the family volunteered to join the party.