Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said today that she was proud to have a leader of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stature.
"Modi ji is a person with qualities like discipline and sympathy for the poor, who came to public life and is now a great leader. I am proud to have a leader of such stature," she said.
She was speaking at an event here after releasing "Sindhanai Kalanjiyam", the Tamil translation of poems written originally in Gujarati by Modi.
Speaking in Tamil, Sitharaman said she was happy to see Modi in a new light, as a poet.
The defence minister said Modi, contrary to the general perception that he was autocratic, was a person who did what was required of the people.
Noted Tamil poet Vairamuthu praised Modi, saying his talent as a poet needs appreciation. He also hailed Modi for his gesture when he called on the ailing DMK leader, M Karunanidhi, during his visit to the city on November 6.
The collection of poems has been translated into Tamil by Rajalakshmi Srinivasan, a Sanskrit professor.
Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan and Tamil Nadu BJP president Tamilisai Soundararajan were among those present at the event.
