When PM Modi’s mother insisted a family newborn be named after Sushma Swaraj

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New Delhi, February 14

Returning from his first physical election rally in Punjab’s Jalandhar today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled an old anecdote about his late cabinet colleague Sushma Swaraj who was born in Ambala Cantonment on this day in 1952.

Sharing a 25-year-old remembrance on Facebook, the PM said those days he was working in the BJP organisation and Sushma Swaraj was on an election tour to Gujarat.

“Sushma ji visited my native village Vadnagar also and met my mother. That very time, a girl was born to my nephew’s family and astrologers decided on a name after looking at the stars. Everyone in the family decided to follow the advice of astrologers in the matter but my mother had other ideas. After meeting Sushma ji she said the newborn would be named after Sushma Swaraj only. My mother is not very educated but she is very modern in her thinking. The way she announced her decision to the family is something I remember even today. I pay tribute to Sushma ji today on her birth anniversary,” the PM said.