Former President Ram Nath Kovind has praised Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya as a rare leader without any foes or rivals in public life. Speaking after releasing Dattatreya’s autobiography in Telugu, ‘Prajala Kathe, Naa Atma Katha’ (story of people is my story), he said Dattatreya is a personality who is a friend to all. Leaders cutting across political lines, including former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Governors of various states and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, attended the event. Mr Kovind said Dattatreya does not have a word like enemy in his dictionary of life. Hailing Dattatreya for his tireless efforts to uplift the poor and aid those in need, he also recalled his imprisonment during the Emergency. Venkaiah Naidu said Dattatreya’s life has always been intertwined with people, and remaining committed to a political ideology is as important as honesty and integrity, which is exemplified by Dattatreya. Chandrababu Naidu described him as a ‘gentleman politician’, and praised his service during the devastating 1977 cyclone and also his jail term during the Emergency. He said the Haryana Governor’s life serves as a role model in many ways. Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma and his Andhra Pradesh, Tripura and Odisha counterparts, S Abdul Nazeer, N Indrasena Reddy and K Hari Babu and a host of eminent personalities from different walks of life attended the event.