Man who brought Modi’s wife to Mumbai plans to protest for her freedom

Mangalore Today News Network

Feb 15, 2016: Brother Peter Paul, who managed to get Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s wife, Jashodaben, from Gujarat to Mumbai, to participate in a day-long hunger strike on Friday, says he is now planning to go on an indefinite hunger strike. He says this is because Jashodaben and her close relatives are always under watch and she is not allowed to move about freely.

 

Jashodaben was invited by the Good Samaritan Mission, to protest against slums being demolished during the monsoon period. Paul claims he had to visit her at least eight times, meet her brother in the temple of their village, explain the protest to him, as security guards assigned to protect Jashodaben listen to everything she says. “I have received calls from people in many places including Akola, saying they want to invite her for their event too. I told them it is not an easy task, as her movements are restricted, and whatever she says is listened to,” said Paul.

He claims that apart from a few relative’s places, she is not allowed to go anywhere. When she decided to attend their event, five days before her scheduled visit, she travelled to Ahmedabad and stayed at her relative’s house. On the night of February 11, her brother Ashok Modi took a train from Unjha, their village, and went to Ahmedabad. Pretending that she was travelling back to her village, the brother-sister duo got into the Lok Shakti express for Mumbai, leaving the guards puzzled.

“Everything here in Mumbai was also a secret. She reached our ashram in Vikhroli early morning after 5 am. On February 12, she had a bath in the morning, offered prayers and later, we left for Azad Maidan. Even local police wasn’t informed,” said Paul. Paul feared that like earlier times his plan would be foiled. He claims the previous time he had tried inviting her, but faced a lot of hardships and Jashodaben wasn’t allowed to travel.

Now, Paul says he is saddened with the watch on Jashodaben and her relatives, and is planning an indefinite hunger strike. “This is not the way someone is treated. She also belongs to the poorest of the poor segment. She is kept under watch. Even most of her relatives aren’t allowed to see her. I will go on an indefinite hunger strike for her, and her relatives, and see to it that the Centre takes note of it and she is treated well.”