‘Secular’ Kamat swallows ‘Modi best friend’ remark

PANAJI - Less than two days after calling Narendra Modi his “best friend”, beleaguered Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat Saturday said he “had a good relationship with all chief ministers, including the chief minister of Gujarat” and that his remarks on Modi were taken “out of context”.

“My statement has been taken out of context solely to create media and political hype,” Kamat said in an official statement.

Kamat’s remarks during a media briefing Thursday, in which he called Modi his “best friend”, had triggered a political churning here, with the state Congress president Subhash Shirodkar stating that the Congress high command should act on such comments.

“I want to firmly state that selective interpretation of a casual remark could not undermine my commitment and loyalty to the Congress party’s secular ideology and liberal politics,” Kamat said.

“I had told the reporters that I would not be attending the function for which Gujarat chief minister has invited me,” Kamat said in his clarification vis-a-vis the possibility of him attending the Gujarat Swarnajayanti Diwas on May 1.

Incidentally, Kamat during the press conference Thursday had expressed his willingness to attend the May 1 function. “If they (Gujarat government) have invited, I will go. Modi is my best friend,” Kamat had said.