Prime Minister Narendra Modi today shook hands with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi before praising Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar at his 75th birthday celebration.

Modi, who had once termed the NCP the Naturally Corrupt Party, said the reason Pawar is respected is because of his dedication to his work.

"Sharad Pawar is a politician who was born in an era of constructive politics. He spends most of his time in constructive work," Modi said.

Modi went on to call Pawar an able administrator, who understood values and struck a balance between the cooperative movement and his political life.

"These days politicians don't understand these values. He struck a balance between cooperative movement and his political life. He was known as an able administrator. There was a decade when Mumbai underworld brought pessimism in Maharashtra but Sharad Pawar saved Mumbai from the underworld," he said.

"His commitment for work was extraordinary. He brought innovation in agriculture. He has qualities of a farmer, who gets to know when weather changes. He makes use of this quality very effectively in politics," he added.

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