'Either doesn't know or lying': Smriti Irani debunks myth around PM Modi

'Either doesn't know or lying': Smriti Irani debunks myth around PM Modi

Former Union Minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani has debunked what she calls the biggest myth about Prime Minister Narendra Modi—that anyone shares a "close" personal relationship with him.

"Let me break the biggest myth—there is nobody close to the Prime Minister. Anyone who claims to have a close relationship with him either doesn't know him or is outright lying," she said in a candid conversation with actress Soha Ali Khan.

Irani, who worked closely with PM Modi for over a decade, said that PM Modi is driven by a larger purpose and chooses associates strictly based on effectiveness and alignment with that mission.

“He left home for a larger cause. “He has never picked up people who then don’t become effective enough to serve that larger cause,” she said.

She praised Modi’s attention to detail and sharp memory, recalling how he remembers statements made years ago.

“He’ll remember what you said about a topic back in 2007 and will call you out,” she said.

Reflecting on her own political journey, Irani credited her ministerial roles to PM Modi’s support.

Smriti Irani rose to political prominence in 2019 when she defeated Rahul Gandhi in Congress stronghold Amethi.

However, she lost Amethi in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to Congress’ Kishori Lal Sharma. Since then, Irani has stepped back from active politics and returned to acting, reprising her iconic role as Tulsi Virani in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2.