Modi extends Diwali wishes to Sam Pitroda after remarks stressing personal warmth over political differences
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a Diwali greeting to Sam Pitroda on X after Pitroda underscored that personal respect can coexist with sharp political disagreement.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted a Diwali greeting to Sam Pitroda on the social platform X, writing, "Happy Diwali and Nutan Varsh Abhinandan to you Sam Bhai and to Anjana Ben. Praying for a joyful and healthy year ahead. Jai Jagannath!" The message came after Pitroda, a former technology minister and Congress party member, emphasized that personal relations do not have to be swallowed by political conflict. He said he holds no personal grudge against Modi, described the prime minister as "very warm," and noted that he has visited Modi's home in Gujarat. Pitroda added that while he may disagree with Modi's worldview and ideology, those disagreements remain separate from human ties, saying, "I can disagree with Mr Modi and I can also have dinner with him… and a laugh."
Pitroda made the comments while defending Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's memoir, which the BJP has criticized for allegedly justifying the 1975 Emergency and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He described the book as "full of love, courage, commitment, conviction and character" and urged generosity toward authors before commenting. Earlier, Pitroda dismissed allegations of foreign funding against Rahul Gandhi and the INDIA bloc as "bogus," asserting that there is no foreign money or advice influencing the party.