Seeking to put at rest the speculation on his atheist roots, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Friday said it was not important whether he believed in God or not, but that the almighty accepted him for his services to the poor, downtrodden and suffering masses.

Addressing a gathering at the famous St Thomas Basilica in Chennai, where he inaugurated a feature film on the apostle, Karunanidhi noted he was an ordinary individual and it was an insult if someone asked whether he accepted God.

One must act in a manner acceptable to God. This was possible only by service to humanity.

"Showing pity on the poor, mercy to those sufferring from disease and helping the downtrodden are the acts which will help God accept me," he underlined.

"This is possible by constant practice and I do it well. This has been taught to me by Periyar (Dravidian leader and an atheist) and Anna (Former Tamil Nadu chief minister Annadurai)," he added.