Chennai, June 2 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the passing away of BJP senior and party's former president of Tamil Nadu unit K N Lakshmanan and recalled the leaders' role in the anti-emergency movement. "Anguished by the demise of Shri K N Lakshmanan ji. He was at the forefront of serving the people of Tamil Nadu and expanding the BJP organisation there.

His role in the anti-emergency movement and participation in socio- cultural activities will always be remembered. Om Shanti," Modi tweeted. K N Lakshmanan passed away due to age related problems at his residence in Sevvaipettai in Salem on Monday night.

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He was 92.

Lakshmanan who had represented the Mylapore assembly constituency in Chennai from 2001-06, is survived by his wife Ranganayaki Ammal, daughter Bhuvaneshwari and son Sekhar.

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He had been President of the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP twice.

Party president J P Nadda, too paid rich tributes to the leader and said, "Lakshmanan's remarkable journey from Jan Sangh to BJP and his dedication to serve the people will always inspire us."

Nadda expressed his sympathies to the bereaved family members and followers of Lakshmanan.

"He was very simple but deeply committed to the ideology of nationalism and public service, unassuming but unswerving from the path of empowering people and nation," P Muralidhar Rao, BJP national secretary, said.

Starting that the former president excelled in all spheres from politics to religion and education, state president L Murugan said Lakshmanan was a nationalist.

"His contribution in the field of education was remarkable.

In 1970, along with N P Vasudevan, he started the Sri Vidhya Mandir school in a modest manner with mere 35 students.

Now the institution has grown in stature accommodating over 1,000 students," Murugan said.

Party seniors, former union minister Pon Radhakrishnan, former Coir Board chairman C P Radhakrishnan, state general secretaries Vanathi Srinivasan and K T Raghavan were also among those who paid their tributes to the departed leader.

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