New Delhi, Nov 12 — Indian Overseas Congress Chief Sam Pitroda has described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "good orator" who is "very warm, kind, loving and caring", while adding that he has no "personal issues" with the Prime Minister.
Pitroda's surprising remarks came in response to a question about Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi once describing PM Modi as a "big orator".
When asked for his opinion of the Prime Minister, Pitroda, in an exclusive interview with IANS, said that he "respects him (PM Modi) as a person" and thinks that he is "hardworking".
"He (PM Modi) is a Gujarati friend. I respect him as a person. I met him. My wife and I met him. He's been very warm, very kind, very loving, caring at a personal level. Of course, he's a good orator, hardworking, okay. We get along well," Pitroda told IANS.
"We have no personal issues. I have nothing against Mr Modi as a Gujarati leader, friend, and well-wisher. He's very warm to me. No issues about that. I appreciate that," he further said.
The Congress leader said that the issues he has with PM Modi are based on ideologies and not on a personal level.
"And equally on my side, you know, I've been to his house in Gujarat several times. But I may have issues with his views of the world. I may have issues with his ideology. But that's a separate issue; that's not against the individual. It's against the idea. And these are two separate things. You know, I can disagree with Mr Modi, and I can also have dinner with him and have a laugh. So I have no issues," he added.
In 2018, Sonia Gandhi had said that she agreed that PM Modi is a "big orator".
"Modi takes pride in his ability to deliver good speeches. I completely agree that he is a good orator and speaks like an actor... But the country is surprised that wherever he goes, he speaks wrong," she had reportedly said.