LESSER KNOWN TALES OF PM’S LIFE COME TO THE FORE

NEW DELHI: Weeks after the website, Modi Story, chronicling Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s journey in the form of testimonies by Union ministers, party workers and public was launched by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Yuva Morcha (youth wing), the contributors continue to share about the lesser known facets of the PM’s life.

The website gives a peek at several interesting anecdotes, including the time the PM distributed his savings of about ₹ 40 lakh among the staff of his chief ministerial office in Gujarat or the incident of him shocking his cabinet colleague Pralhad Patel by entertaining a party worker at the Prime Minister’s residence? The initiative came ahead of the PM completing eight years in the office. Even though several stories shared by ministers have been uploaded but the majority have been sent in by the public, said one of the organisers behind the initiative, requesting anonymity.

Union minister Smriti Irani’s story goes back to 2011 when she first won the Rajya Sabha elections. “It was just 15 minutes after I returned to the circuit house that I heard a knock on my door. It was a person who was part of his staff and he had a stack of files with him. I asked him what they were and he said, Congratulations! You are now the MP from Gujarat and these are the issues who have to raise in the Centre!”

There’s also an account by data scientist Shailaja Grover who helped Modi update his IT skills. Paragliding coach Roshan Thakur gave a glimpse of Modi’s adventurous side.