Manohar Parrikkar is so close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he could afford once to describe the Gujarat riots as bad, though he did defend Modi simultaneously. BJP leaders say there is a lot about Parrikar, 58, that Modi likes — he is a technocrat with an RSS background, is quick with decisions, and has a reputation for not sharing much with his cabinet colleagues. For his part, Parrikar takes credit for having projected Modi as prime minister in the first place.