Ahmedabad:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was accorded a grand reception in Ahmedabad on Friday night at the airport, arrived in Gandhinagar on Saturday morning, met his mother Hirabai on his birthday and sought her blessings. Modi’s mother lives with his younger brother Pankaj Modi in Gandhinagar. This is the PM’s third visit in recent times to Gujarat, where Assembly elections are due next year. Here are the live updates:
# No Divyang needs anyone's sympathy.Our Divyang sisters & brothers want to lead a life of pride & want to do well:PM
# Our Accessible India initiative is aimed at focusing on areas where we may not have devoted much attention before: PM
# Time for phrases like 'Chalta Hai' is history. The world has expectations from India and we can't let this opportunity go: PM Modi
#Navsari has set 3 records and has made a mark for itself on the map of the world. Congratulations: PM Modi
#WATCH A Specially abled girl reads a snippet from Ramayana in PM Modi's presence in Navsari, Gujarat pic.twitter.com/YtlWZurIlh
— ANI (@ANI_news) September 17, 2016
# A Specially abled girl reads a snippet from Ramayana in PM Modi's presence in Navsari, Gujarat
#Gujarat: PM Modi distributes assistive devices to Specially abled people during Samajik Adhikarita Shivir in Navsari
#On the occasion of PM Modi’s Birthday, 67 feet long garland weighing 67 kg presented to him in Navsari.
# Am glad I got the opportunity to be with my tribal sisters & brothers. I always hope Gujarat continues to scale new heights of progress: PM
# I know that the farmer is very skilled and I have also seen the farmer is innovative and willing to learn new things: PM
# Mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' is resonating all over: PM Modi
# Water scarcity remained a key issue in Gujarat. At times we would get adequate rainfall but we weren't able to conserve water: PM
# When Gujarat was formed, people raised questions on whether it will development but today we can see the state has developed: PM
# PM Modi launches schemes for tribal development in Limkheda, Gujarat
PM Modi being felicitated, will unveil schemes for tribal development in Limkheda, Gujarat shortly. pic.twitter.com/Kd1UO12YvQ
— ANI (@ANI_news) September 17, 2016
PM went to his mother's residence in Gandhinagar in a single car, without accompanying carcade or any officials. pic.twitter.com/AbKi7mP5CZ
— ANI (@ANI_news) September 17, 2016
PM Narendra Modi greets people from houses around his mother's residence, in Gandhinagar (Gujarat). pic.twitter.com/qQxlFkcT5I
— ANI (@ANI_news) September 17, 2016
#WATCH PM Narendra Modi meets his mother on the occasion of his birthday today, in Gandhinagar (Gujarat). pic.twitter.com/pl3IPgWLC6
— ANI (@ANI_news) September 17, 2016
PM Modi meets his mother on the occasion of his birthday today, in Gandhinagar (Gujarat); seeks her blessings. pic.twitter.com/GKaVsQJlTo
— ANI (@ANI_news) September 17, 2016
PM Narendra Modi meets his mother on the occasion of his birthday today, in Gandhinagar (Gujarat). pic.twitter.com/s0N3kUULEW
— ANI (@ANI_news) September 17, 2016
PM Narendra Modi reaches to meet his mother in Gandhinagar (Gujarat), on the occasion of his birthday today. pic.twitter.com/E0eDUKCcpn
— ANI (@ANI_news) September 17, 2016
Sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik's sand sculpture in Puri (Odisha) on the occasion of PM Modi's birthday. pic.twitter.com/GvwJsnrKGv
— ANI (@ANI_news) September 17, 2016
Surat: Shop owner gifts clothes to 200 divyangs & 55 HIV+ children on eve of PM's b'day (16.09.16) pic.twitter.com/eIKwVaG1El
— ANI (@ANI_news) September 17, 2016
PM Narendra Modi's birthday celebrated in Kanpur (UP) by locals. pic.twitter.com/GNQ0a64A5Q
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) September 17, 2016
Governor O P Kohli, the entire Gujarat cabinet including the Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, state BJP leaders including the newly-appointed president Jitu Vaghani and hundreds of party workers welcomed Modi at the airport.
Nagpur: PM Narendra Modi’s look-alike celebrates PM Modi’s birthday, takes part in cleanliness drive. pic.twitter.com/iuYVufOPBK
— ANI (@ANI_news) September 17, 2016
Surat: World's biggest cake weighing 3750 kg has been made for PM Modi's birthday, attempting to break world record. pic.twitter.com/WWe64MFiY6
— ANI (@ANI_news) September 17, 2016
ALSO READ: Twitter abuzz with birthday wishes for PM Narendra Modi
After his grand reception, Modi thanked Gujarat BJP leaders and party workers and drove to the Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar where he will spend the night. Some of the party workers seemed disappointed as Modi did not address them.
Later, he would go to the tribal district of Dahod to inaugurate various irrigations projects.
Dahod collector Lalit Padaliya said the inauguration ceremony will be held at Limkheda town, around 25 km from the city, and the PM will also address a rally there.
“The Prime Minister will inaugurate Kadana-Hafeshwar irrigation project,” Padaliya said.
Later in the afternoon he would go to Navsari where he is scheduled to take part in a function where aid would be distributed to the differently-abled persons.
“In Navsari, PM will distribute kits and aid to ‘divyang’ citizens. He will also address a large gathering near Navsari town,” Pandya said.
BJP is facing a challenge in Gujarat ahead of next year’s polls in the aftermath of Patel quota agitation and the protests of Dalit community after the Una atrocity incident.
Last month Modi visited his home state twice—to condole the death of Sawminarayan sect’s leader Pramukhswami Maharaj and later to inaugurate an irrigation scheme in Saruashtra region.
