Thought Modi to be a crude man but...: Ghulam Nabi Azad on PM's Rajya Sabha speech

PM Modi at the time of Azad’s retirement made an emotional speech for the veteran leader. He recalled a 2007 terror incident when Azad was the Chief Minister of Kashmir and several pilgrims from Gujarat, the home state of Modi, were killed in a grenade explosion.

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New Delhi: Ex-Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who recently quit the age old party after over 40-year political career, on Monday made an emotional remark about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that he first thought that the prime minister was a crude man as he doesn’t have a family, wife or children but got introduced to his humane side on the day of his Rajya Sabha retirement. For the unversed, PM Modi at the time of Azad’s retirement made an emotional speech for the veteran leader. He recalled a 2007 terror incident when Azad was the Chief Minister of Kashmir and several pilgrims from Gujarat, home state of Modi, were killed in a grenade explosion. The prime minister recounted how Azad, being a quintessential leader extended full emotional and administration support to Modi, who was then the chief minister of Gujarat.

"I assumed that Modi sahab was a crude man as he did not have children or his own family... And would not care but at least he has shown humanity," he said and narrated the heartrending aftermath of the grenade explosion inside the Gujarat tourist bus, Azad said.

"When the chief minister of Gujarat called, I was crying loudly. He heard me crying and he was told that I cannot talk right now and have to treat those who are injured,” the former Congress leader added

"When I talked to the chief minister to ask for two planes, one for the dead and the other for the injured and I again cried... He (Modi) turned emotional while referring to my state," Azad added.

After Azad quit the Congress, the party had alleged that he was "Modi-fied" and several leaders attacked him citing Modi's speech in Rajya Sabha in February last year in which the teary-eyed prime minister had praised Azad as a "true friend".

(With PTI inputs)