PM Modi 'most misunderstood, maligned unfairly', says Arif M Khan

Bihar Governor Arif Mohammed Khan called PM Modi a "most misunderstood person" who is "maligned unfairly." He said his perception changed after initially criticising Modi post-Godhra, after which he spent four months in Gujarat.

Bihar Governor Arif Mohammed Khan described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "most misunderstood person" who has been "maligned very unfairly," asserting that history would judge his leadership far more favourably.

Addressing a gathering at a book launch chronicling PM Modi's 25-year political journey on Saturday, Khan reflected on his own change in perception about the Prime Minister. He added that he had criticised then Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi in the aftermath of the 2002 Godhra unrest. However, he said his perspective changed after he spent more than four months in Gujarat and engaged with people from various communities and understood their experiences firsthand.

Khan on His Changed Perception

"He is the most misunderstood person who is being maligned very unfairly. And then after four months, my view totally changed about this situation. And I started sharing my views with others. He is undoubtedly a man of determination, a man of resolve, and he is the man who never shows that he is in a hurry. It appears that he never rests. And he is always engaged in pursuing whatever course he has set before himself," Khan said.

On February 27 in 2002, a tragic incident unfolded at the Godhra railway station in Gujarat when coaches of the Sabarmati Express were set ablaze, leading to the deaths of several passengers. The incident later sparked widespread communal violence across the state.

Book Chronicles PM's Political Journey

Furthermore, the book that carries a foreword by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, traces Modi's journey over the past 25 years -- from his tenure as Chief Minister to his role as the Prime Minister of India. The publication seeks to document key milestones in governance and political leadership during this period.

Praise for Criminalising Triple Talaq

Khan also credited the Prime Minister for the enactment of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019, which criminalised the practice of triple talaq in India. Emphasising the global context, he said, "I hope, and I feel confident that after 50 years, people not only in this country, but everywhere else also will recognise what a wonderful and great job Shri Narendra Modi has done. Because everywhere else in the world, triple talaq is not considered lawful. In India, it was done for the first time in 2019."

The event was attended by several prominent leaders, including Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh, Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission NK Singh, and former Union Minister KJ Alphons. (ANI)

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