Month after marriage, Varanasi couple gets Modi letter

But when the mailman delivered a letter on May 23, dated May 9 and signed by Modi, word spread, catapulting the couple into “a sensation of sorts”.

More than a month after a couple in Varanasi exchanged marriage vows, it found the flood of visitors and phone calls surpassing the one it had hosted not long ago. What brought this middle-class family from the city’s Lanka area to the centre of attraction and turned the couple – Rajesh and Deepti – into an overnight celebrity was the congratulatory letter from none other than the country’s new Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.

When 36-year-old Rajesh Tiwari, a computer operator in a coaching institute, had written to the then BJP’s PM nominee and Varanasi’s Lok Sabha candidate Modi, inviting him to his marriage on April 21, he had little hoped the BJP leader would respond, let alone come to his wedding.

But when the mailman delivered a letter on May 23, dated May 9 and signed by Modi, word spread, catapulting the couple into “a sensation of sorts”. “I got more phone calls and visitors than I did on the day of my marriage. As Modiji is our PM now, we would send invites of every big function in our family to him,” Rajesh said. The couple says it will keep the letter as a “treasure” for the generations to come.

Maulshree Seth

Maulshree Seth is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, based in Lucknow. With over 15 years of experience in mainstream journalism, she has built a formidable reputation for her on-ground reporting across Uttar Pradesh. Her expertise spans a wide array of critical beats, including state politics, governance, the judiciary, and rural development. Authoritativeness Maulshree’s work is characterized by depth and historical context. Her coverage of high-stakes state elections and landmark judicial rulings has established her as an authoritative voice on the intersection of law and politics in Northern India. She is frequently recognized for her ability to gain access to primary sources and for her nuanced understanding of the socio-economic factors that drive the world's most populous sub-national entity. Trustworthiness & Ethical Journalism Her reporting is rooted in rigorous fact-checking and a steadfast dedication to neutral, unbiased storytelling. By prioritizing field-based verification—often traveling to the most remote corners of the state—she ensures that her readers receive a truthful and comprehensive view of events. ... Read More

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Narendra Modi