‘Exemplary leadership’: HD Deve Gowda praises PM Modi after Operation Sindoor

HD Deve Gowda acknowledged the immense pressure the Prime Minister Modi must have faced in recent weeks.

Lauding India’s “mature and restrained” military response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack under ‘Operation Sindoor’, JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda on Thursday said that while the challenges may not end here, there is immense relief in knowing that the nation stands united.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, HD Deve Gowda, lauded Modi’s “exemplary leadership”.

Read his full letter here:

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Prime Minister and Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka, HD Deve Gowda, lauded Modi’s “exemplary leadership” and “determined steps” in the aftermath of the recent terrorist attack.

He emphasised India's peaceful global image, stating, “India is a peace-loving nation and has always spread positive light in the world, but if someone sees it as our weakness, then, they now know what we are capable of.”

Gowda noted that he was reaching out with “a deep sense of appreciation” following the country’s “mature and restrained” military response to the May 7 terrorist strike in Pahalgam.

“The challenges we face may not certainly end here, but there is immense relief in the fact that we remain united as a nation. We suffer together but we also rise together as one nation and one people,” he said, highlighting national unity in difficult times.

The former PM recalled Modi’s swift return from an international trip to oversee the response to the April 22 terror attack. “...you cut short your visit to Saudi Arabia and rushed back to monitor the developing situation in India (following the April 22 terror attack), conduct strategy meetings, mobilise international support and inspire our armed forces. You also later cancelled your tour of Europe to be available at home for all emergencies,” Gowda pointed out.

He acknowledged the immense pressure the Prime Minister must have faced in recent weeks. “The past couple of weeks must have been very demanding and stressful,” he wrote.

“But I am happy that God has given you the strength and resolve to see India through these trying times. Your leadership has been exemplary, and history will undoubtedly record it in glowing terms.”

Reflecting on the burden of leadership, he added, “I know it is lonely at the top there, and I also know that without a spiritual sense, deep reflection, and continuous prayer it is not easy to find balance and equanimity of judgment. You have demonstrated that you have it all in good measure in the last few days. It was evident on a number of occasions in the past too.”