‘Tastes Good, Bit Too Sweet’: PM Modi Surprises Ujjwala Beneficiary in Ayodhya With Chai Stop

It was a Saturday like none other for Meera Manjhi from Ayodhya. For, an unexpected guest called on her house for a cup of tea at very short notice. Her family was tuned to news channels for the arrival and roadshow of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the temple town when a political leader and “an officer” landed on her doorstep with the news that “a VIP” would be visiting their home in around 30 minutes.

“It was a complete surprise. They never told me who was coming. We are poor people. We didn’t have much in our home, except some pulses and rice. I made arhar dal, rice and prepared some salad. Before I could finish cooking, I saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi at my doorstep. I was stunned. It all seemed like a dream. I quickly snapped out of it and realised PM Modi had come to my home. I immediately welcomed him inside,” Meera Manjhi said.

Meera Manjhi was the 10th crore beneficiary of the PM Ujjwala Yojana under which below poverty line households are provided free LPG connections.

Describing the experience of hosting PM Modi, she said: “He came and spoke to my family members. He asked us about the benefits we get from the Ujjwala scheme. Then he asked me what I had cooked. I told him I had prepared tea and dal-rice. He asked for the tea and said ‘thandi mein chai toh pilana chahiye na’ (you must offer tea during winters, isn’t it).”

So did the PM like her chai? “Chai ka swaad accha hai, par meethi thodi zyada hai (the tea tastes good but is a little too sweet),” PM Modi told her. To this, the Ayodhya resident responded: “I prefer sweet tea.”

Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smirit Irani shared a video of the PM’s visit to Manjhi household on X (formerly Twitter).

The Prime Minister spent around 15 minutes with the Manjhi family. “Aisa laga bhagwan mere ghar aaye. Maine kabhi sapne mein bhi nahi socha tha ki aisa kuch hoga (It was like God visited my place. I never had thought in my wildest dreams that anything like this would happen),” Meera Manjhi said, adding that the visit reminded her of the ‘Shabri Ke Ber’ story from Ramayana. “I am blessed,” she said.

On the PM’s directions, Meera and her family have also been given coverage under Mukhyamantri Jan Arogya Yojana. Ayodhya divisional commissioner Gaurav Dayal and district magistrate Nitish Kumar visited the family and handed over the papers and completed the related formalities.

Meera said she is thankful to PM Modi and UP CM Yogi Adityanath for giving health insurance coverage to her family. She said the BJP government has transformed their life and now they can lead a dignified one.