“You can ask Modiji if he spoke to his wife or not”

The movements of Jashodaben, a retired schoolteacher, have been kept confidential ever since her passport application was rejected in 2015 – for not being able to produce any document to prove her spouse was Narendra Modi, whom she had mentioned in the application. Narendra Modi had acknowledged Jashodaben as his wife in his 2014 Lok Sabha nomination affidavit. In interviews, she has said she had married Modi around five decades ago. They lived together for about three months. Some of the biographies of Narendra Modi, circulated by the BJP, say he left for the Himalayas to become a monk soon after their marriage. In his election campaign, Modi had said that he could never be corrupt as he had no family to support.

Indian newspapers had very smartly tucked away the news of the accident that involved the wife of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, However,those who read that news item has been wondering about the recovery of Jashodaben Narendrabhai Modi from the injuries suffered in the collision and they also have been did her husband look her up after the lethal accident in which a relative was killed?

The answer to the first question: Yes, Jashodaben has recovered from the injuries. However, the second question has made the brother of Jashodaben, Ashok to ask one of the dailies from Kolkatta, “You can ask Modiji if he spoke to his wife or not.”

Ashok, the brother with whom Jashodaben lives at Brahmanwada in Gujarat’s Mehsana district, was by no means complaining. On the contrary, he explained that her status as the Prime Minister’s wife did stand Jashodaben in good stead when adversity struck in Rajasthan last week, reported the daily.

The Innova in which Jashodaben and others were travelling collided with a trailer-truck on a national highway in Chittorgarh on February 7, killing the relative named Basantbhai Modi who was driving the car.

Ashok has been quoted by the daily as saying, “I don’t know if the PM called her or not. But the meherbani (courtesy) we got was because Jashodaben is the PM’s wife. The collector, the SP and local BJP leaders all helped us at the Sanwaliyaji Government General Hospital in Chittorgarh.You can ask Modiji if he spoke to his wife or not. We cannot forget the help of the Rajasthan government.”

Ashok added,  “She is busy with prayers now. We had gone to the wedding of a nephew’s son in Atru in Rajasthan’s Baran district. She has not travelled anywhere else since. Her recent travels have been to Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and places in Gujarat for community marriages, Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao programmes and the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.”

The movements of Jashodaben, a retired schoolteacher, have been kept confidential ever since her passport application was rejected in 2015 – for not being able to produce any document to prove her spouse was Narendra Modi, whom she had mentioned in the application. Narendra Modi had acknowledged Jashodaben as his wife in his 2014 Lok Sabha nomination affidavit. In interviews, she has said she had married Modi around five decades ago. They lived together for about three months. Some of the biographies of Narendra Modi, circulated by the BJP, say he left for the Himalayas to become a monk soon after their marriage. In his election campaign, Modi had said that he could never be corrupt as he had no family to support.