New Delhi:
Amid the debate around his exchange of festive greetings with the Prime Minister and mutual praise in posts, Congress leader Sam Pitroda has said that he is surprised with the attention his interaction with the PM has been getting.
“I am surprised by the attention that exchange of Diwali and New Year wishes with Prime Minister Narendra Modi had attracted,” he said in an interview with NDTV, insisting that the interaction was purely personal and had nothing to do with politics.
The Congress Overseas chief has defended his exchange of festive greetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying personal relationships should not be confused with political rivalries. Describing the interaction as a “very human thing”, Pitroda said he was surprised by the attention the exchange had attracted.
Pitroda said he had always been a friend and well-wisher of the Prime Minister and could maintain personal equations irrespective of political differences.
“I can separate personal relations from political rivalries. In my case, personal equations don’t interfere with political equations,” he said.
Read | ‘Sam Bhai’ Pitroda Gets Diwali Wish From His ‘Gujarati Friend’ PM Modi
Pitroda said Modi had always been warm, welcoming and caring towards him and his wife, although he had not met the Prime Minister since he assumed office.
“He was gracious enough to send a message to me and my wife. I reciprocated. It’s a very human thing to do,” Pitroda said, adding that he and his wife shared different kinds of relationships with several Gujarati politicians.
#NDTVExclusive | While speaking exclusively to NDTV’s @PadmajaJoshi, Congress leader Sam Pitroda (@sampitroda) explains his message exchange with PM Modi amid political divide https://t.co/7A8lhrOAV1
— NDTV (@ndtv) November 13, 2026
Asked about the apparent contradiction between his personal praise for Modi and the Congress’s sustained political attacks on the Prime Minister, Pitroda said the two should be viewed separately.
“That’s the party’s relationship with him, not mine. I can comment on my relationship, not the Congress’s relationship with him,” he said.
Thank you very much for the greetings Narendra Bhai. We reciprocate the same and wish you healthy years ahead. Sam and Anjana @narendramodi
— Sam Pitroda (@sampitroda) November 12, 2026
‘My Idea Of India Is different’
While defending his personal equation with Modi, Pitroda also made clear that he continued to have political and ideological differences with the Prime Minister.
Without directly naming PM Modi, he said the political environment in India had become too toxic and argued against bringing religion into politics.
“My idea of India is different. I don’t believe in putting religion in front of politics. As a Prime Minister, I would not spend so much time on temples and pujas. The Prime Minister is the Prime Minister for everybody. That is my idea,” he said.
Pitroda added that excessive discussion around religion was creating divisions in society.
He also rejected suggestions that his exchange with Modi was an attempt to build bridges between the Prime Minister and the Congress.
“No. This was just a human conversation. The exchange was between Sam Pitroda and Narendra bhai. It has nothing to do with the party,” he said, adding that he had neither spoken to nor met PM Modi in 15 years.
‘I can disagree with you and still have coffee’
Asked about Sonia Gandhi’s reference in her book to Modi allegedly avoiding eye contact with her, Pitroda said the Congress leader had her own relationship with the Prime Minister, while he had his.
“She has a relationship with the PM, I have my own. Why should we have the same relationship? Separate personal relations from the party’s agenda,” he said.
Read | “Taps My Phone”: Rahul Gandhi’s Big Charge Against PM Modi, Then Debate Dare
‘My Phone Is Also Tapped’
Pitroda also weighed in on Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of phone surveillance, claiming that his own devices were regularly targeted.
“My phone is also tapped. But the Prime Minister doesn’t sit and do it himself. My devices are constantly attacked. I don’t know who is doing that, but somebody is doing it. I don’t care,” he said.
On Rahul Gandhi’s upcoming visit to the United States and whether the controversy surrounding his praise for Modi would figure in their discussions, Pitroda said the Congress leader would be in the country for two days and that they would discuss several issues.
Responding to BJP attacks on Rahul Gandhi’s foreign visits and allegations that he uses overseas platforms to speak against India, Pitroda said the Congress leader meets students and think tanks during his visits.
“Rahul Gandhi comes and meets me. He meets students and think-tanks. We have no anti-India agenda. This is our country too. No one can say we are anti-national. All this talk is bogus,” he said. Pitroda said the Congress’s agenda was centred on “democracy, diversity and inclusion”.
Source: www.ndtv.com
