Taking note of a >report in The Hindu , Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday spoke to Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson Kanubhai Ramdas Gandhi, who has been living with his wife at an old-age home in outer Delhi.
Union Culture and Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma, who had been asked by Mr. Modi to visit Mr. Kanubhai at the Guru Vishram Vridh Ashram – Sheows, enquired about his needs and assured all possible help.
In a series of tweets, the Prime Minister’s Office stated: “PM @narendramodi has taken note of reports about Kanubhai Gandhi. He asked Minister @dr_maheshsharma to meet Kanubhai.”
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At the home, Mr. Sharma asked 87-year-old Kanubhai to speak to the Prime Minister.
Spoke in Gujarati
“PM @narendramodi and Kanubhai had a long conversation. They spoke in Gujarati and had a very pleasant discussion,” the PMO informed in a second tweet.
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Excited by his interaction with Mr. Modi, Mr. Kanubhai — the son of the Mahatma’s third son Ramdas Gandhi — said: “He understood everything in Gujarati. I am an old fan of Mr. Modi. Whatever little help that I had done long ago, he said he remembers that. When we had last met, Sonia Gandhi was against both of us [PM & him].”
Asked how he felt with the visit of Mr. Sharma, he said, “I was happy then, I’m happy now as well. He [Mahesh Sharma] came here to meet me, we had a good talk.”
“I asked if they wanted anything or any other place to stay, but he did not answer clearly. He was very happy to speak with the PM. Both [the PM and Kanubhai] had a cheerful conversation where they refreshed some memories from the past,” said Mr. Sharma.
On May 14, The Hindu was the first to report that the couple — after spending over four decades in the United States — were living in an old-age home in the capital.
They arrived in Delhi on May 8 after staying in various ashrams in Gujarat for a year-and-a-half.