New Delhi, July 27 (IANS): The relation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Late President A. P. J. Adul Kalam was a close and cordial one that began when PM Modi served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
Modi Archive, a verified account on X, on Saturday, shared a few pictures of the stalwarts, depicting their closeness. Modi Archive narrates the journey of PM Modi through archival pictures, videos, audio recordings, letters, newspaper clips, etc.
Calling Abdul Kalam “A ‘Rashtra Ratna’ before a ‘Rashtrapati’,” Modi Archive shared that the two “shared a heartfelt bond. Their friendship started when Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. Dr Kalam often referred to Modi as a ‘great friend from Gujarat’ and the ‘greatest Chief Minister’."
The earthquake of 2001 which devastated Kutch was pivotal in strengthening the bond between them.
“Their relationship grew stronger during frequent visits to Gujarat, especially during times of crisis, such as the Kutch earthquake. Dr Kalam provided crucial guidance on using science and technology for relief and reconstruction and stood by CM Modi at every step. He would visit Gujarat in the future to witness the development of the Gujarat Model, whether to attend the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, launch the Jyotigram Yojana, or visit the Space Applications Centre (SAC) at ISRO, Ahmedabad, and on many more occasions,” the post states.
It is added further: “Even after Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, their camaraderie endured. After taking his oath in May 2014, Modi's first call was to Dr Kalam, seeking his blessings. They regularly exchanged ideas, with Dr Kalam offering his wisdom on improving governance to the newly appointed PM.”
A. P. J. Abdul Kalam is a celebrated aerospace scientist and was closely involved in India's civilian space programme as well as in military missile development. His work on the development of ballistic missile earned him the moniker ‘Missile Man of India’.
Kalam also served as the eleventh President of India from 2002 to 2007.