Modi performs last rites of his mother in Gandhinagar

GANDHINAGAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday performed the last rites of his mother Heeraben Modi in Gandhinagar.

PM Modi, who had reached Gandhinagar early this morning, consigned the mortal remains of his mother Heeraben Modi to fire along with his brothers.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, former CM Vijay Rupani, and Cabinet Ministers of Gujarat were present for Hiraba Modi's last rites.

PM Modi who reached Gujarat this morning first paid tribute to her at her Raysan residence and then carried the bier with the mortal remains to the crematorium for the last rites.

Heeraben Modi, 100, passed away at around 3:30 am today at the UN Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre in Ahmedabad, according to a bulletin from the hospital.

She was hospitalised on Wednesday after her health deteriorated.

The Prime Minister informed the nation about her demise early Friday morning. Informing about her demise, the Prime Minister posted a heartfelt tweet early this morning,

"A glorious century rests at the feet of God... In Maa, I have always felt that trinity, which contains the journey of an ascetic, the symbol of a selfless Karmayogi and a life committed to values." PM Modi recalled his visit to his mother on her 100th birthday this year.

"When I met her on her 100th birthday, she said one thing, which is always remembered that work with intelligence, live life with purity, that is, work with intelligence and live life with purity," PM Modi tweeted.

Several leaders and ministers expressed their condolences on the demise of PM Modi's mother.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed grief and highlighted the value of a mother in one's life and said that its void is "impossible to fill".

"I am deeply pained by the passing away of Hira Ba, mother of Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi. The death of a mother leaves such a void in one's life that is impossible to fill. I express my condolences to the Prime Minister and his entire family in this hour of grief. Om Shanti!" the Defence Minister tweeted.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel also condoled the death of the Prime Minister's mother passed away at 100, and said that she was the epitome of simplicity and high values of life.

"Deeply saddened by the passing away of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendrabhai Modi's mother Pujya Hiraba. Pujya Hiraba was an epitome of generosity, simplicity, hard work and high values of life. I pray that God rest her soul in peace. AUM Shanti," Patel tweeted, roughly translated from Gujarati.

Ahead of the recently held Gujarat assembly polls, the prime minister during campaigning had visited his mother who turned 100 this June.

Heeraben had also cast her vote in the second phase of the Gujarat Assembly polls. Later in the day, the Prime Minister will join today's scheduled events in West Bengal through video conferencing, his office informed on Friday.

The prime minister was scheduled to visit West Bengal to launch the developmental projects, including flagging off the Vande Bharat Express in Kolkata and also to attend a meeting of the National Ganga Council.

Prime Minister was scheduled to lay the foundation stone of projects worth more than 7,800 crores in the state of West Bengal.