Political differences, bitter criticism and frequent run-ins have rarely put Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Sam Pitroda on the same page.
But Diwali brought an unexpected moment of bonhomie, with the Prime Minister reaching out to his long-time critic with a festive greeting, addressing him as “Sam Bhai”.
The Prime Minister on Thursday wished Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda on the occasion of Diwali and Gujarati New Year. The Congress leader also recalled he and his wife visiting the PM’s house, saying Modi was very warm.
The surprise wish came after Pitroda called the PM his “Gujarati friend” and said he had no issues with him at an individual level. Earlier, speaking to news agency IANS, Pitroda had described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a Gujarati friend and said he respected him as a person. On his differences with the PM, Pitroda said that they were political and ideological, but never personal.
The new-found bonhomie between the two leaders came in the backdrop of the BJP’s attack on the Congress where the ruling party accused it of allying with foreign forces and trying to harm the country. He also specifically rejected claims linking him and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to billionaire investor George Soros, who has repeatedly figured in the BJP’s allegations of foreign influence on the Opposition.
