Team News Riveting
New Delhi, December 6
When the picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding veteran former premier Deve Gowda by his hand, walking inside his chamber and offering him seat with great respect went viral; not many anticipated the story behind the touching moment will come to public domain within a week.
Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Sunday revealed his affection for Modi, who has equally reciprocated the gesture. Deve Gowda recalled how an incident changed his perception about Modi and his respect for him increased manifold.
At a press conference, the former Prime Minister said Modi turned down his wish to resign from the Lok Sabha. The JD(S) patriarch had challenged Modi in 2014 Lok Sabha elections that if the BJP came to power on its own by winning 276 seats, he would quit from the membership of the Lok Sabha.
“I had told him that if you win 276 seats then I will resign. You can rule by forging an alliance with others but if you win 276 seats on your own then I will resign (from Lok Sabha),” Gowda said. The BJP came to power and now it was for him to keep the promise he had made.
Deve Gowda recalled that after the victory, Modi had personally invited him to attend the swearing-in ceremony. When the celebrations were over, he sought an appointment with Modi. When his car reached the portico of the Parliament, Prime Minister Modi himself came there to receive him.
“I have had knee pain since then, which is still continuing. Whatever kind of person he is, that day when my car came to the portico, Modi himself came, held me by my hand and took me inside. This was for a person who had opposed him (Modi) so much,” Gowda said, adding that he expressed his wish to resign from the Lok Sabha.
“I told him that I stand by my words. Please accept my resignation. He told me why I was taking things spoken during election so seriously. He also said that he would require to discuss matters with me whenever situation arises,” Gowda recalled.
After the incident, Gowda met Modi six to seven times as his respect for him increased while meeting after the latter became prime minister changed the perception. “I realised to see the change in his personality — from what he was as a Gujarat Chief Minister to what he is after becoming the Prime Minister,” Gowda said.
