Bengaluru, June 10 -- Amid reports that the NDA leadership had declined to accommodate him for a Rajya Sabha berth, JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda on Wednesday mounted an emphatic defence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, declaring that his friendship with the Prime Minister would endure "as long as I am alive" and expressing hope that Modi would continue leading the country for another decade.
Addressing a press conference here, the 93-year-old leader repeatedly dismissed suggestions of any strain in his ties with Modi and the NDA leadership, asserting that political developments and speculation over Rajya Sabha nominations would not affect their personal relationship.
"My personal bond with the NDA, especially wi...