ecalling fond memories of his colleague and former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed how she once rebuked him for not being prepared ahead of speech at the United Nations. The PM also spoke about how she took the External Affairs Ministry to the common people.
While speaking at condolence meet held for Sushma Swaraj at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the prime minister said he learnt a lot from her and then spoke about his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in 2014, months after he had assumed the office for the first time.
PM Modi said that after she received him at the United Nations Headquarters, he suggested that they sit together as he had to deliver his speech the next day.
The PM said that Sushma Swaraj enquired about his speech but when he said he never writes his speeches as he finds it difficult, she said ‘aisa nahi hota hai bhai (It does not work like this brother). You have to speak about India to the world. You cannot speak as you wish.’
“I was the prime minister and she was my colleague taking care of the external affairs ministry…,” PM Modi said.
The prime minister said he had undertaken a long travel and was also on fast due to ‘navratra’ but she insisted he share his thoughts. The ministry then prepared a draft speech for him, he said.