JOIN USWhen Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi during his last Assembly address on Wednesday had said that Gujarati delicacies like ‘khakra’ and ‘dhokla’ would now be available at the PMO, people laughed it off.
However on Thursday, when Modi left for Delhi, he was accompanied by Badri, his cook-cum-caretaker of 12 years, who will be put up at 7, Race Course Road, now. So, maybe the PM to-be was not kidding after all.
The guessing game on who all will be part of his political coterie may still be on, but it is evident who will be in charge of Modi’s meals at his new residence. Badri has been staying with Modi at bungalow no 26 in Gandhinagar, the official residence of the Gujarat chief minister for over a decade.
Earlier, Modi visited his 94-year-old mother Hiraba at her residence in Gandhinagar. An emotional Hiraba gave him her blessings and a token amount of Rs 101. She also fed him with sweets and wiped his face with a towel.
Later, Modi acknowledged the role of all journalists in the state, saying, “I thank the journalists of the state who have been relentlessly writing about me.’’
At the Ahmedabad airport, there was an emotional send-off by his personal staff and security officials who have been by his side for 13 years. Modi’s personal staffers Dinesh Thakur and O P Singh accompanied him on his journey, while another staff member Tanmay Mehta has already relocated to Delhi.
Modi bid farewell to his home state, saying “Aavjo Gujarat” (See you, Gujarat ) at the airport. His swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for May 26. It was an emotional moment for Modi when he vacated bungalow number 26. His personal security staff shared a secret with their outgoing chief. His driver and personal security staff had kept a copy of “Ramcharitamanas” in his official car which they used to worship every day before starting for office praying for his safety.
Moved by the gesture, Modi tweeted: “Several security personnel prayed in this temple daily for years! I don't know how many such people's good wishes have come to me. The security staff did a phenomenal job, but the feeling with which they prayed for my well-being is something I will never forget.”