Bangalore, Jan 31 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari Sunday denied he had compared Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi with Mahatma Gandhi.

'I was only referring to Gujarat government's programmes for the poor and said that Modi was following in the footsteps of Gandhiji who had initiated Antyodaya (welfare of the poor) programme,' Gadkari told reporters here.

'Modi is inspired by Gandhiji and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (one of the founders of BJP's precursor Jan Sangh) and is doing what Gandhiji did,' the BJP chief said.

'It is regrettable that a section of the media distorted my speech (at Porbandar in Gujarat on Jan 30, which is also the anniversary of Gandhi's assassination). All videotapes and text (of his speech) are there to know what I exactly said,' Gadkari added.

Congress had reacted strongly to reports that Gadkari had compared Modi with Mahatma Gandhi.