Veteran Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for being proud of his roots, saying he speaks frankly about his past as a tea seller. 

“I, myself, had come from a village and I am proud of being a villager. I admire a lot of things about leaders like our prime minister who also says that he was from a village. He used to sell tea,” PTI quoted the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister as saying during an event. 

Also Read | ‘The grand alliance of Left-Congress will defeat both TMC and BJP’: Adhir Chowdhury

“I might have political differences with Modi but he is also frank about his past of being a chaiwala (tea-seller),” Azad said.

The comments came a day after a gathering of ‘G-23′ leaders, who have expressed their concerns with the Gandhis’ style of leadership in the Congress and are calling for an overhaul in the party, where they said the party is weakening. 

PM Modi had recently profusely praised Azad, who was the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, during the Congress MP’s farewell in the Upper House.

Also Read | Rahul Gandhi slams Centre over ‘the weapon to communalise’ – National Education Policy

An emotional prime minister had recalled how Azad had reached out to him in 2006 after tourists from Gujarat were killed in a terrorist attack.

He said the person who will replace Azad will find it tough to match his contribution.