Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has shared a deeply personal account of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's humility and respect for party workers.
As PM Modi celebrates his 75th birthday on September 17, Mr Chouhan recalled his frequent visits to Madhya Pradesh during his tenure as the Bharatiya Janata Party's National General Secretary.
PM Modi, Mr Chouhan said, travelled extensively across the state and met "countless party workers". What struck him most was the Prime Minister's ability to remember those workers years later and to enquire about them and acknowledge their contribution.
Mr Chouhan recounted one incident that left a lasting impression on him. PM Modi once asked him about Lakshmi Narayan Gupta, a senior BJP leader and former minister in Madhya Pradesh. He told him that Mr Gupta was quite old and close to 100 years. Later, when PM Modi visited Bhopal for an event, Mr Chouhan suggested that he meet Mr Gupta. "He immediately agreed," the union minister wrote.
Mr Chouhan said the meeting turned into a moment of unexpected emotion. "As soon as Modi ji arrived, he first bent down and touched Gupta ji's feet," he recalled.
The gesture, Mr Chouhan added, surprised many. "Here was the Prime Minister of India, attending an important event, yet showing such respect to a senior party worker. It clearly reflected how highly Modi ji values those who have contributed to the party's growth," he added.
During their brief interaction, PM Modi noticed that Mr Gupta had difficulty hearing. Mr Chouhan said the Prime Minister "patiently listened" and raised his voice so that he could follow the conversation.
A few days after the meeting, Lakshmi Narayan Gupta died. Mr Chouhan said, "It felt as though he had been waiting for that one last meeting with Modi ji." The Union Agriculture minister added that the episode left a "lasting impression" on his mind, underscoring PM Modi's deep regard for those who helped build the BJP.
