Amid lockdown, PM Modi calling up senior leaders to check on their health; 100 elderly to get surprise calls

New Delhi: In last address to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made seven-point appeal to the countrymen in tiding over the Corona crisis, one of which was taking care of elderly people.

Taking lead in this direction, PM Modi is calling up senior leaders across the country to enquire about their health and also to get feedback on what they feel about the lockdown measures and the situation on the ground.

According to an ET report, PM Modi has made it a point this week to make short phone calls, lasting about three-five minutes, daily to veteran leaders of the party and the organisation across the country at around 9 AM when he begins his day.

According to the report, PM Modi is likely to call up nearly 100 senior leaders, mostly above 80 years of age.

PM Modi’s surprise call to 106-year-old ex-MLA

The 106-year-old Shri Narain alias Bhulai Bhai, a former two-time MLA got the surprise of his life when he received a call from PM Modi on Wednesday.

PM greeted him saying that he had called him up to enquire about his health and also seek his blessings.

Shri Narain had represented the Naurangiya assembly segment, now known as Khadda, in Kushinagar twice in the UP Assembly. He was a close aide of the Jan Sangh founder Dr Deen Dayal Upadhyay. He has also worked in close association with Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani.

Another person whom PM Modi spoke to was 2-times former MLA from Delhi, OP Babbar.

“The call came at around 8:30 am. He said that he was sitting today and it occurred to him to call people who have taught him and whose hands he held and travelled this far, and enquired about my health. He also asked about my family. He was sounding so humble. It felt so nice,” said 85-year-old Mr Babbar.

Mr Babbar spoke about how he keeps himself engaged by ensuring distribution of ration kits to the needy.

“I said I am a Swayamsevak and using all I have learnt from Sangh to help people. PM said we all have learnt from Sangh and that he too is a Swayamsevak observing lockdown in the interest of the nation. It was great to hear from him,” added Mr Babbar.

BJP stalwart Vijay Kumar Malhotra, who received a call from Modi, said it was a “very big thing” that the prime minister took out time from his busy schedule to catch up with senior leaders.

“I got call from the PM on Tuesday morning. It was unprecedented and I was surprised,” said Vijay Malhotra.

PM Modi also called up former Udupi municipal president and RSS worker Somashekar Bhat and the two spoke of how they had met during the Emergency in Jaipur. Bhat was jailed along with Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani in Bengal.

99-year-old Ratna Bapa, a former MLA from Junagarh in Gujarat, also got a call from PM Modi earlier this week asking him about his health and if he still remembered that Modi had visited his house many years back, the daily reported.

Last week, the former legislator had made a contribution of Rs 51,000 from his pension savings to the state government fund for tackling the Covid-19 crisis. On the phone call, PM Modi also thanked him for the donation.