Bengaluru: Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi has received praise from an unexpected quarter - former Prime Minister and JD(S) Supremo Mr H D Deve Gowda, who compared him to Sage Valmiki, the hunter who reformed and went on to write the epic Ramayana.
“I was the worst critic of Mr Narendra Modi and actually launched an agitation against him post-Godhra riots in Gujarat. Now when I meet him I feel he is a changed man..... just like Valmiki, who was once a hunter, but went on to write Ramayana,'' Mr Gowda said.
On Monday, while celebrating his 83rd birthday, Mr Gowda went temple hopping in Bengaluru. Usually, he celebrates his birthdays at Tirupati. Due to health constraints, Mr Gowda decided to stay in the city.
Once a bitter critic of BJP, Mr Gowda looked like he had softened his stand on Mr Modi. “I spoke to him a couple of times. When I offered to quit my Lok Sabha seat, he convinced me to continue. We will have to wait and see how much he has reformed,'' Mr Gowda quickly added.
Mr Gowda said the release of his biography, which was earlier planned for his birthday would be delayed by two months. “I have not hidden anything. In 1989, when I was thrown out of the party, only Mr Ugrappa and Mr B L Shankar were with me. Mr Ugrappa may be MLC in another party and may speak against me. But Mr Shankar, Mr Sindhia and Mr C.M. Ibrahim have never spoken against me,'' he said.
