New Delhi: Congress leader Hussain Dalwai on Thursday questioned Indian Overseas Congress Chairman Sam Pitroda’s praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, suggesting that he might be considering switching sides, while RJD spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav dismissed the remarks as “politically insignificant”.
BJP leaders, meanwhile, welcomed Pitroda’s comments, with BJP MLA and former Union Minister V. Muraleedharan saying that appreciation for the Prime Minister was welcome if Pitroda had recognised the truth.
Reacting to Pitroda’s remarks, Dalwai said the Congress leader lived abroad and might not be fully aware of developments in India.
“Sam Pitroda does not live in India; he lives abroad. How would he know what is happening here? He must have made the statement for some reason. I think he may be considering switching sides. I do not know what is going on in his mind,” Dalwai told IANS.
He said Pitroda should instead speak about what he described as restrictions on people’s democratic rights, including the freedom to express dissent and protest.
“He is praising the Prime Minister. The government is subjecting people to oppression and injustice and is not even allowing them the right to speak, protest or struggle. This is completely wrong and goes against the Constitution. If Sam Pitroda speaks about these issues, that would be a good thing,” Dalwai said.
RJD spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav also questioned the political significance of Pitroda’s comments, alleging that his positions changed according to convenience.
“Sam Pitroda keeps making comments from time to time, often according to his own convenience. He is quite good at assessing when to be close to whom and when to oppose whom. Sometimes he sides with PM Narendra Modi, sometimes with the Congress, and at other times he puts the Congress or PM Modi in the dock. This has been his pattern,” Yadav said.
“I do not believe that his statements carry any significance in terms of national interest or political interest,” he added.
BJP spokesperson T.R. Srinivas said Pitroda’s comments appeared to signal a change in his attitude towards Modi, but cautioned against concluding the reasons behind it.
“Sam Pitroda has described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a hardworking Gujarati leader and said he has no personal differences with him. There must be some reason behind this change of heart. It is too early to speculate whether it is related to Sonia Gandhi’s recently released book or something else. We will have to wait and watch how developments unfold,” Srinivas said.
BJP MLA and former Union Minister V. Muraleedharan also welcomed the remarks, saying that Pitroda was entitled to appreciate the Prime Minister.
“If Sam Pitroda has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi after realising the truth, I welcome it. Ultimately, the truth cannot be concealed for long and will eventually come out. However, I do not know the context or motive behind his remarks. If he has said something good, everyone should be happy about it,” Muraleedharan said.
In an exclusive interview with IANS, Pitroda described Modi as a hardworking leader and spoke positively about their personal interactions, while maintaining that he differed with the Prime Minister’s ideology and worldview.
“He is a Gujarati friend. I respect him as a person. My wife and I have met him. He has been very warm, kind, loving and caring at a personal level. Of course, he is a good orator and hard-working, and we get along well. We have no personal issues,” Pitroda said.
“I have nothing against Modi as a Gujarati leader, friend or well-wisher. He has been very warm towards me, and I appreciate that. Similarly, I have been to his house in Gujarat several times. I may have issues with his views of the world, his ideology, but that is not against the individual. I can disagree with him and have dinner with him,” he added.
(IANS)
