Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held a roadshow in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore as he paid floral tributes to the portraits of 58 people killed there in the 1998 serial bomb blast.
The roadshow was initially rejected by the police for being 'communally sensitive' and for the ongoing public exams in schools but the Madras High Court green-flagged the event later with reasonable conditions.
PM Modi began his roadshow in an open, flower-decked vehicle, people who gathered on both sides of the road showered flower petals on him, chanted slogans hailing him and traditional music was played to welcome him.
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BJP Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai, Union Minister of State L Murugan, Coimbatore MLA and BJP Mahila Morcha national president, Vanathi Srinivasan were the three leaders who accompanied the Prime Minister in his vehicle.
"Meendum Modi, Vendum Modi," (Once again Modi, we want Modi) was one of the slogans raised by BJP supporters. Many people who lined up on the roads held lotus flowers in their hands to welcome Modi and raised "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" slogans.
PM Modi paid floral tributes to the portraits of people who were killed in the bomb blast that rocked this textile city in 1998 at the end of the road show.
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58 people were killed and over a 100 injured. The portraits were placed in a small, makeshift memorial square.
This is the first time PM Modi has held a roadshow here and also this is the first political engagement of the PM following announcement of schedule for the Lok Sabha polls by the Election Commission.
PM Modi is scheduled to address a BJP rally at Salem in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday.
