Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "democratic leader", Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said even his critics will agree that the Union Cabinet has never functioned in such a democratic manner as it is functioning in the Modi government.
This comment by the Home Miniter did not go down well with tennis legend Martina Navratilova. “And for my next joke…” she tweeted on Sunday night in reply to Shah's eulogy of Modi as "India's most democratic leader". Along with the tweet, she added an emoticon for astonishment and another that resembles a clown.
Rejecting allegations that Modi is an autocratic leader, Shah, in an interview to SANSAD TV, said that he has not seen a "patient listener" like the prime minister, who gives importance to all worthy suggestions given by anyone irrespective of their designation or position in the hierarchy.
Shah had said Modi does not hesitate in taking political risks for decisions that are in national interest, and at times has taken bitter decisions for the welfare of the nation.
He is a very patient listener and gives importance to all worthy suggestions irrespective of the person's designation, Shah said.
"...I have closely seen both Modi and his style of working. I have never seen a patient listener like him. Whatever may be the issue, he patiently listens to everyone and speaks least, and then takes a proper decision. He takes decisions patiently after considering suggestions given by all including a …. small-time official or worker," the minister said.
In a past tweet, Martina Navratilova had accused Modi and Trump of "trying to stifle the truth as much as possible, if that truth doesn’t suit their political purpose."
In 2019, Navratilova had skewered the rapport between Modi and then US President Donald Trump.