Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Rampal Kashyap, a man from Haryana’s Kaithal, who had taken an extraordinary vow 14 years ago — to not wear footwear until Modi became Prime Minister and he had met him in person.
The unusual pledge, kept for well over a decade, came to a close at the public meeting in Yamunanagar, where the two finally met.
“He had taken a vow 14 years ago—that he will only wear footwear after I became PM and he got to meet me,” the Prime Minister said in a tweet following the event. “I am humbled by people like Rampal Ji and also accept their affection.”
In the viral video footage of the encounter, posted on PM Modi’s official Twitter and Instagram accounts, the prime minister is seen presenting a new pair of sneakers to Kashyap and even helps him briefly to put them on. The video has over seven million views.
Watch the video here:
Yet, even as he acknowledged the gesture, Modi used the moment to deliver an appeal. “I want to request everyone who takes up such vows—I cherish your love… please focus on something that is linked to social work and nation building!” he added.
The Prime Minister was in Yamunanagar to lay the foundation stone of the 800-megawatt Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Power Plant among several other developmental projects in the state. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was also at the event.
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