Indian PM Modi’s mother dies aged 99

Agencies | New Delhi

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother Heeraben Modi has been cremated after she died in the early hours of yesterday morning.

She was 99 years old, and had been in hospital in western Gujarat state - where she lived - since Wednesday after her health deteriorated.

“A glorious century rests at the feet of God,” Modi tweeted yesterday morning. He reached Gujarat in the morning and lit his mother’s funeral pyre. After the funeral, he attended events that had been scheduled in West Bengal state through video conferencing.

The Indian prime minister often visited his mother to seek her blessings on important occasions and festivals. Her life and sacrifices had “shaped” his mind, personality and self-confidence, Modi wrote in his blog on 18 June when Heeraben turned 99. “My Mother is as simple as she is extraordinary. Just like all mothers,” he wrote.