CHENNAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Madurai on March 1, with a possible darshan at the Tiruparankundram Temple, BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran said on Friday.
Addressing reporters in Tirunelveli, Nagenthran said the Prime Minister’s visit was earlier scheduled for February 28 but had now been rescheduled. “There are indications that the Prime Minister may visit the Tiruparankundram temple. People believe that following his visit, the long-pending issue of lighting the sacred deepam atop the hill could be resolved,” he said, adding that residents had suffered due to the continued delay.
During the interaction, Nainar Nagenthran also launched an attack on actor-politician Vijay, questioning his political standing. “What qualification does Vijay have to criticise the AIADMK? He has not even served as a councillor,” he said.
Reacting to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegation linking the Prime Minister with the Epstein files, Nainar dismissed it outright. “Rahul Gandhi is a buffoon. There is no need to take his comments seriously,” he said.
Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and former State president Tamilisai Soundararajan accused the DMK of weakening Tamil Nadu’s voice at the national level. “Prime Minister Modi is not afraid of anyone, including Pakistan. He understands statesmanship, while the Opposition here indulges only in tactics,” she said.
Calling the DMK’s decision to send Kamal Haasan to Parliament an unpardonable mistake, Tamilisai said his speeches had brought embarrassment to the State. She also said the BJP had constituted a manifesto committee under her leadership for the 2026 Assembly elections and had begun district-wise consultations with traders, workers and weavers to incorporate public demands, including GST rationalisation and urban employment schemes, into the party’s poll document.