WHO chief wishes Narendra Modi on re-election, PM thanks ‘Tulsi Bhai’
Modi, set for a historic third term, thanked the WHO chief, referring to him affectionately as "Tulsi Bhai," a name given to Dr. Tedros by the PM in 2022.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Thursday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his re-election in the Lok Sabha polls.
“I look forward to continuing WHO-India close collaboration for #HealthForAll,” Dr. Tedros posted on X.
Modi is all set to take charge as India’s prime minister for a historic third consecutive term with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) winning 293 seats in the Lok Sabha polls, results for which were announced on Tuesday.
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Responding to the WHO chief's congratulatory post, Modi said, “Thank you, my friend Tulsi Bhai!”
“India's cooperation with WHO promotes our vision of ‘One Earth One Health’. The first WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in India adds to our joint efforts towards #HealthForAll,” Modi added.
The name "Tulsi Bhai" was first given to Dr. Tedros by the prime minister at the Global AYUSH Investment and Innovation Summit in 2022. At the event, PM Modi mentioned that Dr. Tedros had asked for a name after becoming a ‘pucca Gujarati’.
"Tedros is a good friend of mine. He always told me Indian teachers taught me, and I am here because of them. Today he told me, 'I have become a pucca Gujarati. Have you decided a name for me?' So I will call him Tulsi Bhai as a Gujarati," PM Modi said.
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Last year, the WHO chief was in the prime minister's home state to attend several conventions on health and medicine. He expressed his fondness for the name "Tulsi Bhai," saying it makes him a ‘pucca Gujarati’.
“I like the name Tulsi Bhai because 'Tulsi' is a medicinal plant. I just planted Tulsi here in the Wellness Centre. I'm really happy to do that because it has many benefits,” he said after visiting a health and wellness centre in Gandhinagar.