No, Modi is not the first PM to lose a parent while in office as claimed by TOI

Claim

Heeraba, who inspired nation, dies: Modi first Indian PM to lose parentwhile in office

Twitter Link | Archive Link

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Explanation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on 30, December 2022 about his mother’s demise following which condolence messages poured in from across the world. Hiraba Modi, at the age of 100 breathed her last at an hospital where she was admitted a few days before her death. Her last rites were performed in Gandhinagar crematorium. Several news media outlets reported this incident. The Times of India while reporting the news on Modi’s mother’s death, stated that “Her demise is the first instance of an Indian PM losing a parent while in office”, in an article titled “Heeraba, who inspired nation, dies; Modi first Indian PM to lose parent while in office” published on 31, December 2022. Some of the other posts that claim that Modi is the first Indian PM to lose a parent while in the office can be seen here, here and here.

The Times of India in one of its articles dated 4, November 2009 reported that the Former PM Devegowda’s mother Devamma died on August 6, 2006. The archived link can be seen here.

What is the truth?

When searching with relevant keywords, it is found that Modi is not the first PM to lose his parent while in office. The Money Control article dated 30, December 2022 with the title “PM Modi second Indian Prime Minister to lose his mother in office” is found mentioning that Modi is the second Indian PM to lose his mother while in office.

The Money Control article mentions that HD Devegowda’s mother died in 1996 a few weeks after he took charge as the PM. He served as the 11th Prime Minister of India from June 1996 to April 1997 and his mother Devamma passed away just weeks after he took charge.

India Today article dated 15, September 1996, while mentioning about Devegowda’s Independence day speech in Hindi, it is reported that his mother passed away on August 4.

Clarification to what was mentioned on TOI is seen on January 1, 2023 dated Times of India Newspaper. It is mentioned, “In the report, ‘Heeraba, inspirational mother who moulded PM, passes away’ published in TOI’s editions on December 31, it was wrongly mentioned that Narendra Modi was the first Indian PM to lose a parent while in office. The error is regretted. HD Deve Gowda had lost his mother on August 5, 1996, while he was in office. Deve Gowda was touring Kashmir when he received the news about his mother’s death. Her last rites were conducted the same day in his home district, Hassan.”

Conclusion

It is found that Modi is not the first Indian PM to lose his mother while in office. And it is evident that HD Devegowda lost his mother in 1996 a few weeks after he took charge as the PM. Though TOI has given the clarification, the original tweet with false claim remains undeleted.

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