Modi’s 94-year-old mother queues up outside bank to exchange old notes

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s 94-year-old mother, Heeraben Modi, was seen in a queue outside a bank in Ahmedabad, India on Tuesday morning where she came to swap her old currency notes.

The wheelchair-bound Heeraben was helped inside by some relatives accompanying her. She then exchanged Rs 4,500 for new currency notes, news agency ANI reported.

Pictures of Heeraben lined up outside the bank have gone viral, with many hailing the gesture and her simple way of living. She is known to lead a simple life and has previously been seen travelling in public transport, including an autorickshaw.

The Modi government last week ordered the withdrawal of 500 and 1,000 rupee notes from circulation in a shock announcement designed to tackle widespread corruption and tax evasion.