PM Narendra Modi to meet ailing Swami Atmasthanand Maharaj in Kolkata

KOLKATA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit ailing Swami Atmasthanand Maharaj of Ramakrishna Math and Mission Order during his day-long visit to Kolkata on May 9, a Math official said.

"Modiji treats him as his guru and wants to meet him since our Maharaj has grown very old and is in hospital for a long time. When both of them were in Rajkot, Modi used to go to him to seek guidance," Subirananda Maharaj, assistant secretary of the Math, told PTI here.

Swami Atmasthanand, president of the order started by Swami Vivekananda, is 97 years old and is suffering from old-age illness.

He has been admitted to Ramakrishna Mission Seva Pratishthan since February 21, where Modi will meet him during his visit.

After Modi won the elections last year, the senior monk had congratulated him and invited him to visit the Math.

The Prime Minister is also scheduled to visit Belurmath, the global headquarters of the organisation.

"Belurmath is very close to his (Modi's) heart. He will most probably come here to visit the temples and pay obeisance to Swami Vivekananda," the monks said.

During his last visit to Belurmath in 2013, Modi had spent some private moments in Vivekananda's room where he also meditated.

As a young boy, Modi had visited Belurmath to join the order but his request was turned down and he was told that his calling lay elsewhere.

During his Kolkata visit, Modi will also launch three flagship social security schemes - Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Atal Pension Yojana (APY).