Modi turns 64; meets mother to seek blessings

Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday turned 64 and kept with the tradition of meeting his mother to seek her blessings.
Modi, who is celebrating his first birthday after becoming the Prime Minister, went to Gandhinagar, 23 km from Ahmedabad, alone without any security to meet his mother Hiraben.
On the occasion, she donated Rs 5000 for the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for flood-hit Jammu and Kashmir, they said.
95-year-old Hiraben enquired about his health and work as prime minister and offered him sweets on the occasion.
Modi spent 15 minutes with her.
Every year on his birthday, Modi has been taking her blessings.
This is his first visit to the home state after becoming the Prime Minister almost four months ago.
Chinese President Xi Jinping was among those who wished the Prime Minister on the occasion. Chinese Ambassador to India Le Yucheng met the Prime Minister at the Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar Wednesday morning and conveyed the best wishes of the President and top Chinese leadership to him on the occasion.
The Prime Minister also received best wishes from his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, in a reflection of the special bonding the two Prime Ministers enjoy.
President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Hamid Ansari also called Modi to wish him.
Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel ‘saluted’ the Prime Minister’s mother Hiraben. In a tweet, Patel said, “On the occasion of his b’day, I salute Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother Hiraben for giving us a nationalist son”.
A host of leaders from Tamil Nadu, including Governor K Rosaiah, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and DMK chief M Karunanidhi, also greeted the Prime Minister.
In her greetings to Modi, Jayalalithaa said she prayed for many more years of good health for him to serve the nation.
Karunanidhi greeted the Prime Minister on behalf of DMK, asking him to “accept my hearty wishes.”
BJP’s Tamil Nadu allies, DMDK and MDMK also greeted Modi. Hailing Modi’s administration skills, DMDK founder and Opposition Leader in Tamil Nadu Assembly, Vijayakanth said he prayed for long life for the Prime Minister. (PTI)