NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday extended Diwali and Gujarati New Year greetings to Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda, responding to a video in which the Congress leader spoke warmly about his personal equation with the Prime Minister.“Happy Diwali and Nutan Varsh Abhinandan to you Sam Bhai and to Anjana Ben. Praying for a joyful and healthy year ahead. Jai Jagannath!” PM Modi wrote on X.The Prime Minister shared a post featuring Pitroda’s remarks about their personal relationship, in which the Congress leader described Modi 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,” Pitroda said.“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,” he added.PM Modi’s wishes to Pitroda also prompted a light-hearted exchange on social media. Reacting to the Prime Minister’s post, an X user, Mihir Jha, wrote in Hindi, “If you can wish Sam Pitroda a Happy Diwali, wish us one too, Modi Ji.”The Prime Minister responded with festive greetings of his own. “Aapko bhi Happy Diwali Mihir Bhai. Have a great festive season and year ahead,” Modi wrote, adding a smiling emoji.The warm exchange was a departure from the past, when PM Modi had sharply criticised Pitroda, particularly during the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign.In May 2024, Modi had hit out at Pitroda over his remarks comparing the physical appearances of Indians from different regions to those of Africans, Chinese, Arabs and Europeans.Addressing an election rally in Telangana’s Warangal, PM Modi referred to Pitroda as Rahul Gandhi’s uncle in America and said he would not tolerate insults directed at Indians on the basis of their skin colour.Pitroda subsequently stepped down as Indian Overseas Congress chairman before being reinstated weeks later.
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His remarks on inheritance tax in the US had also triggered a row during the election campaign, with PM Modi using them to attack the Congress over its alleged wealth redistribution plans.During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, too, PM Modi had launched a sharp attack on Pitroda over his “hua toh hua” remark on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, saying the three words reflected the arrogance of the Congress leadership. Pitroda later apologised.