PM Narendra Modi calls up Urimajalu Ram Bhat, enquires about health

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up former MLA Urimajalu Ram Bhat in Dakshina Kannada and former chairman of Legislative Council D H Shankaramurthy and made inquiries about their health. He also sought their blessings and ideas for governance in the country.

The surprise phone calls were made public by BJP State President Nalin Kumar Kateel, who tweeted that PM Modi had called up Ram Bhat and Shankaramurthy.

PM had called the landline of Ram Bhat at his residence in Kombettu in Puttur taluk on Wednesday evening.

Ram Bhat said that Modi started the conversation with “Ram Bhatji Namaskar. "I answered both in English and Hindi,” he said.

The 2-minute-and-odd chat with the PM has left Bhat pleasantly surprised and happy.

Stating that this facet of the PM is a culture that RSS taught to its members, Bhat said it was a way of nurturing the RSS leaders.

“It is a huge prize for me that he (Modi) has remembered me and spoke to me,” said Bhat.

Ram Bhat had served as MLA twice from Puttur Assembly constituency. The dissidence within the BJP 10 years ago had forced him to quit the party and float Swabhimani Vedike.