Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that his mother, Heeraben Modi, received her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

Taking to social media Modi said, "Happy to share that my mother has taken the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine today. I urge everyone to help and motivate people around you who are eligible to take the vaccine."

Hindu nationalist Modi, prime ministerial candidate for India's main opposition BJP, seeks blessings from his mother Heeraben at her residence in Gandhinagar
Hindu nationalist Modi, prime ministerial candidate for India's main opposition BJP, seeks blessings from his mother Heeraben at her residence in GandhinagarReuters

The Prime Minister did not elaborate details on which vaccine 99-year-old Heera Ben had been administered. India has been administering two vaccines - Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield, developed by the Serum Institute of India.

The Prime Minister's mother lives in Raisin village near Gandhinagar in Gujarat, with her younger son Pankaj Modi.