Chennai: In a pleasant gesture seen in the the backdrop of the NDA's push to garner support for its key economic reforms bills in Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa at her Poes Garden residence.
Though Jayalalithaa was not present during the launch of the National Handloom Day celebrations at the University of Madras here, state Finance Minister O Panneerselvam read out her speech that warmly welcomed Modi.
Earlier in day, Jayalalithaa had welcomed Modi at the airport. During his address, the Prime Minister also thanked "Dr Jayalalithaa", the state government and the people of Tamil Nadu for successfully organising the event.
From the function venue, the Prime Minister drove straight to the Chief Minister's residence. She warmly welcomed him at the doorstep.
During the discussions, she is understood to have taken up issues concerning Tamil Nadu including inter-state river disputes with Karnataka and Kerala and presented a memorandum.
The meeting assumes significance in the wake of AIADMK's broad support to the Modi government on the NDA's controversial Land Acquisition Bill in the Lok Sabha although Jayalalithaa had raised some reservations on it citing farmers' concerns ahead of its passage in the Rajya Sabha.
AIADMK has 37 members in the Lok Sabha and 11 in the Upper House.
