NEW DELHI: Senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who recently resigned from the Congress, heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I thought Modi was a crude man, but he showed humanity and mercy through his actions, Azad told media. He was responding to questions about PM in tears when Azad’s tenure in Rajya Sabha ended last year.

‘He wasn’t talking about me retiring, he was emotional about another incident. It is this. Some tourists visiting Kashmir from Gujarat were killed in a grenade attack in 2006. I was the Chief Minister of Kashmir that time and Modi saheb was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. He called me to inquire about it, but I was choked up, crying at how brutal the killings were. I could not even speak. He heard me crying over the phone. I used to cry every time the bodies were taken in the plane. He must have seen it on TV. Tried to contact again by phone but could not speak, but he kept calling. I thought Modiji was a tough guy. I thought he won’t care since he has no wife and children. However, that perception was wrong, he showed humanity,’ said Azad.

Azad also explained about the circumstances in which he had to leave the party. The leadership made me feel that I was not needed. The Congress always had a dislike against him.

Azad resigned from the Congress criticizing the party and Rahul Gandhi. Speculations were rife that he would join the BJP but Azad denied it and announced to form a new party. He had made it clear that there would be no cooperation with the BJP. But now that he has praised Modi again, there are speculations that he is getting closer to the BJP.