PM Modi conveys Deepavali greetings to Sam Pitrod and praises Indian media for expressing diverse views

Indian Overseas Congress Chief Sam Pitroda. File | Photo credit: PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (Nov 12, 2026) greeted Sam Pitroda on Deepavali after the Indian Overseas Congress president called him a “friend of Gujarat”.

Responding to Mr Pitroda’s video statement on X, Mr Modi said: “Happy Diwali and Nutan Varsh Abhinandan to you, Sam Bhai and Anjana Ben. I pray for a joyous and healthy year ahead. Jai Jagannath!”

Happy Diwali and Nutan Varsh Abhinandan to you Sam Bhai and Anjana Ben. A prayer for a happy and healthy year ahead. Jai Jagannath! @sampitroda

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 12, 2026

Mr. Pitroda said, “He (Mr. Modi) is a Gujarati friend. I respect him as a person. My wife and I met him. He was very warm, kind, loving and caring on a personal level. Of course, he is a good speaker and a hard worker and we get along well. We have no personal problems. I have nothing against Mr. Modi, he was very warm to me and the Gujarati leader. I appreciate that I have been to his house in Gujarat several times.”

A senior Congress official said he might have problems with Mr. Modi’s views on the world and ideology, but his disapproval was not about the individual.

“It is against the idea and those are two different things. I can disagree with Mr. Modi and I can also have dinner with him and laugh…,” he said.

Earlier, addressing journalists at the ‘Deepavali Milan’ event, the Prime Minister appreciated the role of the Indian media in voicing different views.

“Sometimes it seems that India has as many opinions as it has people. And these different opinions keep our democracy alive and vibrant. Indian media definitely plays a very significant role in that,” he said.

He credited the Indian media for facilitating positive and unprecedented improvements in society and urged the media to spread public awareness about drug abuse.

Mr Modi reiterated his government’s vision of a developed India by 2047. Citing achievements across sectors in the past 12 years, he said achieving the goal was “certainly not impossible”.

“… The 2047 deadline doesn’t mean we have to wait until then,” he said.

He also cited a recent World Bank report which said that about 50 million people in India have been lifted out of extreme poverty in the last 12-13 years.

The Prime Minister urged the media to bring ‘The India Story’ to the world using technology, young population, talent and available data.

“Social media and algorithms have multiplied this power many times over. Under such circumstances, we need to reflect on whether our content is giving enough space to Indian achievements, talent and positive transformations,” he said.

Mr. Modi acknowledged the role of field reporters in putting their lives at risk to cover natural disasters.

Recalling his long association with journalists, he said that a lot has changed in the last 25 years, technology has transformed the news industry, making the work of traditional media organizations easier and at the same time bringing new challenges.

(With agency inputs.)

Published – 12 Nov 2026 17:16 IST