Mother's birthday gift to Modi: Rs 5,000 for PM's J&K flood relief fund

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has turned 64 today and on this special day he sought the blessings of his mother in Gandhinagar, during his first trip to Gujarat since he took charge as the country’s PM. TV channels showed the prime minister touching her feet, following which she fed him a laddoo.

In a touching move, Modi’s mother, Hiraba, 95, handed Rs 5000 her son and told him to add it to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund that will help J&K flood victims, news TV channels reported.

Hiraba stays with another son Pankaj Modi, an employee of the state information department in Gandhinagar.

Modi family sources had told IANS that preparation of sweets, cleaning and decorating of lawns were going on in right earnest at Pankaj Modi’s Sector 22 house ahead of Modi’s arrival.

A source told the agency, “Churma ke laddoo, lapsi and kansar would be offered to the prime minister by mother Hiraba when he arrives for her blessings.”

On Modi’s arrival, Gujarat’s Chief Minister Anandiben Patel tweeted from her offcial handle, saluting Modi’s mother for giving the country a ’nationalist’ son.

On the occasion of his b'day, I salute Prime Minister @narendramodi’s mother Hira Baa for giving us a nationalist son pic.twitter.com/YNjGIQZbzQ

— Anandiben Patel (@anandibenpatel) September 17, 2014

BJP cadres from across the country were gearing up to celebrate Modi’s 64th birthday, but Modi tweeted that he would prefer it that his supporters dedicate their time and efforts to J&K flood relief.

I am hearing from different places that friends & well-wishers are planning various programmes & events for my birthday.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 14, 2014

My humble request- do not celebrate my birthday. Instead, dedicate yourselves towards relief work in J&K through your time & resources.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 14, 2014

Twitter, home to thousands of Modi’s followers, flooded the Prime Minister with greetings. #HappyBirthDayPM started out as a top trend on Twitter right in the morning. People greeted Modi, shared anecdotes about how others are celebrating the PM’s birthday and congratulated him. After BJP’s by-poll debacle that must be reassuring for the PM, one might add!

Following are a few tweets from people wishing the PM on his birthday.

No words can express the unconditional respect, love & blessings for selfless & young @narendramodi , @PMOIndia! #HappyBirthDayPM #Modi

— Shubham Kulshreshtha (@shubhamkul) September 16, 2014

Modi:A person who goes to his mother to take blessing on every birthday;While some leaders enjoy big parties at big hotels#HappyBirthDayPM

— prayag sonar (@prayag_sonar) September 17, 2014

Modi will be welcoming Chinese President Xi Jinping to Gujarat a later in the day.

With inputs from IANS