Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended Diwali and Gujarati New Year greetings to Sam Pitroda, the chief of the Indian Overseas Congress, in a post on X that addressed him warmly as « Sam Bhai ». The message also included Pitroda's wife, Anjana, and came at a time when the political relationship between the two sides is marked by sharp disagreement.
The greeting followed closely after Pitroda had described Modi as a Gujarati friend. Pitroda, speaking to the news agency IANS, said he respects Modi as an individual while remaining opposed to him politically. He described the prime minister as a good orator and a hard worker, and said the two share a cordial relationship that has not been affected by their differing views.
Pitroda recalled meetings with Modi at his residence in Gujarat, describing them as warm occasions. He said that political differences between them did not prevent friendly dinner conversations. According to Pitroda, the disagreements between him and the prime minister are ideological rather than personal.
The exchange of goodwill takes place against the backdrop of a more confrontational political climate. The Bharatiya Janata Party has alleged foreign interference involving Congress leaders, and Pitroda has dismissed those allegations as baseless. Pitroda's remarks on his personal ties with Modi were made in that context, underlining a distinction he draws between the personal and the political in his public life.
The post and Pitroda's response together show a relationship that, in his account, runs alongside open political opposition. Neither the prime minister's greeting nor Pitroda's comments change the positions the two sides have taken on the allegations now before the political arena.
Source: freepressjournal.in
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