Thiruvananthapuram: Union Minister of State for Defence O Rajagopal on May 19 denied reports that he took People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader Abdul Nasser Madani's wife to Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani last month, to seek his help for Madani's release from jail, where he is detained in connection with the Coimbatore serial blasts case.

Terming reports in this regard as "an utter lie and politically motivated canard", Rajagopal said that he would initiate criminal proceedings against the TV channel and a newspaper, which carried the report unless they withdrew it and express regret.

"It is unthinkable that I would have pleaded for a person who is detained in prison in connection with the Coimbatore blasts which were targeted against Advani, the then Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president. I was also with Advani the day the blasts occurred. By God's grace, we escaped death as we were a few hours late to arrive at Coimbatore," he said.

More over, Madani's case was pending in the court and no one could interfere to get him released, he said.

"I categorically deny that I took Soofia Madani to Advani on April 24, as contended by the reports," he said.

To a question, Rajagopal, however, said he had met Soofia Madani two years back.

PTI