'Does not play games in politics', says PM Modi on NDA's V-P pick CP Radhakrishnan

In a reference to Radhakrishnan's background as a keen sportsperson, Modi said he has a lot of interests in sports but does not play games in politics, according to sources (Image: X/@narendramodi)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday lauded Maharashtra Governor and NDA's vice presidential candidate CP Radhakrishnan for his simple lifestyle and dedication to public service in various capacities, and said he might have a lot of interest in sports but does not play games in politics, sources told news agency PTI.

In a reference to Radhakrishnan's background as a keen sportsperson, Modi said he has a lot of interests in sports but does not play games in politics, according to sources.

His comments reminded some MPs of Jagdeep Dhankhar, who resigned as Vice President suddenly on July 21 amid indications that his souring ties with the ruling party might have pushed him to quit.

Addressing an NDA parliamentary party meeting where Radhakrishnan was felicitated, Modi recalled his almost four-decade-long association with the former Tamil Nadu BJP president, who was an RSS functionary like him before moving to the Jana Sangh and then the BJP, and said they have known each other since they sported black hair and praised his work in different capacities.

In his address, PM Modi also slammed the Congress over the Indus Waters Treaty, put in abeyance by his government, saying Jawaharlal Nehru compromised India's interest to "burnish his image" and gave nod to the agreement without taking his Cabinet or Parliament into confidence, the sources said.

Modi told MPs to take to the masses the alleged betrayal of India's interests by the first prime minister and how his government has decided to undo the agreement's adverse impact on the country, especially farmers.

He also heaped praise on the NDA's vice presidential candidate for his 40 years of dedication to public service and appealed to opposition parties for his unanimous election.

His hope of Radhakrishnan's uncontested election was, however, dashed by the Opposition's announcement later of former Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy as its candidate, ensuring that voting will take place to pick the next vice president on September 9.

In a speech covering a host of issues, Modi also took up the S&P Global Ratings' recent decision to upgrade India's long-term sovereign credit rating, saying it highlights the country's sound economy and will draw more investment.

He noted that he was told after his Independence Day speech, in which he had announced next-generation reforms and simplification of GST rates, that stock market will welcome the decision.

Sensex has rallied for two consecutive days following the three-day holiday on account of Independence Day and weekends.

In the NDA meeting, Radhakrishnan was felicitated by Modi and leaders of BJP allies, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju told reporters, describing the ruling alliance's enthusiastic welcome to his introduction by the prime minister.

Rijiju said Radhakrishnan (67) has led a simple life away from any controversy or taint, stressing that his election as vice president will be a matter of delight for the entire country.

With the BJP-led NDA enjoying a comfortable majority in the electoral college comprising MPs from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Radhakrishnan's win is a certainty. He is likely to file his nomination on Wednesday.

Raising the issue of the Indus Waters Treaty during his address, Modi said India's first prime minister allowed over 80 per cent of the river's water to be used by Pakistan, betraying the interest of Indian farmers.

He said when parliamentarians, including former prime minister and then Jana Sangh MP Atal Bihari Vajpayee, protested, a two-hour debate was allowed in Parliament, according to the sources.

Amid criticism, Nehru later lamented that for a few "buckets" of water so much hue and cry was being raised, Modi said, noting that the first prime minister had also played down China's capture of Indian territory in Ladakh by claiming that not a blade of grass grows there.

Nehru later told a colleague that he had believed that the agreement would help resolve other issues with Pakistan but it did not happen, he noted.

The prime minister said his government has been undoing the sins of that era, the sources added.

Sounding confident of the economic outlook amid a strain in ties with the US, which has slapped a 50 per cent tariff on India, Modi noted that the Delhi international airport has been ranked among the busiest airports in the world and India's forex reserves remain robust.