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PM Modi greets overseas Congress chief Pitroda with ‘happy Diwali’ after warm remarks
Pitroda stressed that personal ties do not mean shared political views, as opposition leaders weighed in and Congress continued its criticism of the government.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday exchanged Diwali greetings with Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda after the latter praised him as a person, describing him as a warm and caring friend and appreciating his oratory and hard work.
“Happy Diwali and Nutan Varsh Abhinandan to you Sam Bhai and to Anjana Ben. Praying for a joyful and healthy year ahead. Jai Jagannath!” Modi said in a post on X, while sharing Pitroda’s comments about him. The Gujarati New Year begins on November 10.
Earlier in the day, Pitroda, a close associate of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, said in an interview that he shared a personal bond with Modi, whom he had known as a Gujarati friend.
“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. I have nothing against Mr. 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...,” Pitroda said.
Political Context and Reactions
While Modi often extends birthday greetings to political opponents, his response to Pitroda’s remarks drew attention given the latter’s association with the Congress leadership.
A close associate of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, Pitroda was one of the principal architects and key technical leaders of India’s telecom revolution in the 1980s. He is also regarded within Congress circles as a mentor figure to Rahul Gandhi during the early years of the latter’s political career.
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Pitroda’s remarks come amid intensified protests by the Congress-led Opposition against the government, with parties demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. Rahul Gandhi has accused Modi of shielding Kumar and repeatedly targeted the government over alleged “vote chori”.
Reacting to Pitroda’s comments, Congress leader Zaheer Lalani in Telangana said personal relations should be seen separately from ideological differences.
“Indian Overseas Congress Chairman Sam Pitroda has stated that he shares a good personal relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has visited his home in Gujarat several times. However, he has also clarified that their ideologies do not match and that he disagrees with Modi on several issues. Personal relations are one thing, while ideological differences are another. I do not wish to comment further on the matter,” Lalani said.
RJD spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav, meanwhile, questioned the significance of Pitroda’s statements.
“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. I do not believe that his statements carry any significance in terms of national interest or political interest,” he said.
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Pitroda has often been a critic of the Modi government but has also made controversial remarks that have put the Congress in an uncomfortable position.
In May 2019, during the Lok Sabha election campaign, he was asked about allegations concerning the Congress leadership’s role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. His response, “1984 mein hua to hua” (Whatever happened has happened), triggered a political controversy and led the party to remove him from his position in the overseas Congress body.
In April 2019, while discussing the Congress’s NYAY scheme, he had also said, “The middle class should not be selfish and should have a big heart.”
Comments on Protests and the Government
However, in other parts of the interview, Pitroda echoed the Congress’s criticism of the government. Asked whether public anger against the Modi government was growing, he said,
“I don’t know about public anger, but I can tell you about the demonstrations. You know, the demonstrations show that what started as a small group of Gen Z and Cockroach Party people protesting against the exam results has taken a different form. It has taken on a national character and become more about democracy, elections, lack of performance, the economy and jobs. In a very short period of time, it has captured the imagination of many more people than we had expected,” he said.
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