COIMBATORE: Vice President CP Radhakrishnan on Wednesday hailed several political leaders cutting across party lines.

Expressing his admiration for M Karunanidhi for his hard work and tireless perseverance even during setbacks, the vice president recalled how Karunanidhi, even after facing electoral defeats, would inspire his cadres in ‘Murasoli’, the DMK’s mouthpiece, to ‘rise again with courage.’

Hailing MG Ramachandran (MGR) as a leader deeply loved by people, Radhakrishnan claimed J Jayalalithaa as one of the most intelligent leaders India has ever seen. He also remembered CPI leader R Nallakannu with respect despite ideological differences. “I was, in fact, in pain when I won the polls against him,” he said, while speaking at a felicitation ceremony in Tirupur.

Describing Atal Bihari Vajpayee as a man of grace and composure, who laid the foundation for modern India through key initiatives such as roads, railway tracks, housing, electrification, and supply of drinking water in villages, the Vice President praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his openness to ideas. “It is that quality, which elevated him as one of the most respected leaders in the world,” he said.