'He is very warm, kind, caring': Sam Pitroda says he has no personal issues with PM

New Delhi: Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda has described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "good orator" who is "very warm, kind, loving and caring", saying he has no personal differences with the Prime Minister despite disagreeing with his ideology and worldview.

In an exclusive interview with IANS, Pitroda said he respected Modi as a person and considered him hardworking. His remarks came in response to a question about Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi's earlier description of the Prime Minister as a "big orator".

"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.

He said he had nothing against Modi personally and appreciated the warmth the Prime Minister had shown him during their interactions.

"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.

Pitroda, however, distinguished his personal equation with Modi and his political disagreements with the Prime Minister, saying their differences stemmed from ideology and views rather than individual animosity.

"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.

Pitroda's comments echo a remark made by Sonia Gandhi in 2018, when she acknowledged Modi's oratorical skills while criticising his speeches.

"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.