It was a special day for four-year-old Aprameya, the grandson of late union minister Ananth Kumar, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his very first visit to Delhi on Thursday (July 20).
Giving company to his grandmother and Karnataka BJP vice-president Tejaswini Ananth Kumar, who was scheduled to meet the prime minister, the boy kept asking his family members if all the leaders they met on the way – Nitin Gadkari, Rajnath Singh, Pralhad Joshi among others – were friends of his ‘thatha’ (grandfather).
The family said Prime Minister Modi immediately made the four-year-old feel at ease, engaging him in a conversation and offering him chocolates. In fact, when he asked the child what he wanted to be when he grew up, pat came the reply: “Hanuman!” But, on a more serious note, Aprameya told the PM that he wanted to join the military.
After a brief round of introduction, the prime minister asked the child his full name, to which he replied: “Aprameya Ananth Pratap Singh”. To this, PM Modi joked and said: “But I cannot see any seeng (horns) on you.” The family said PM Modi offered him a plate full of chocolates, like he does whenever he meets other children. He also asked Aprameya to take all and only hand them out to those interested.
They further said it was indeed a special day for Aprameya as he was born after the death of Ananth Kumar, and he had only heard stories about him from his mother and grandmother. Modi’s connection with Ananth Kumar and his family goes back over three decades.
During his conversation with Tejaswini, the PM recalled those days, including the two leaders’ visit to the US. Tejaswini Ananth Kumar also runs Adamya Chetana Foundation in Bengaluru and, through her projects, has provided food, education and healthcare to thousands. At least two lakh children are being provided midday meals through the foundation across Karnataka.
The PM spoke to her in detail about her work and the initiatives of the foundation, including ‘zero-garbage kitchen’. “It was a deep conversation where the prime minister asked her about the minutest of details, including the welfare of the staff. It was truly impressive…” a family member told News18.
Only recently, after meeting Modi, BJP MP Poonam Mahajan’s daughter Avika Rao had said the PM was like a “cool grandfather”. Former union minister Ram Kripal Yadav’s grandson was also delighted with his conversation with the PM about Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The daughter of Ujjain MP Anil Firozia had Modi in splits after she told him that she thought he worked with Lok Sabha TV, the television channel that covers central government proceedings.
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