Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has released a new book recounting his 35-year-long association with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Titled “Apnapan: Narendra Modi Sang Mere Anubhav”, the book was launched in Delhi on Tuesday by former Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda and former Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu.
The book contains several personal anecdotes about Modi’s leadership style, emotional support for party workers, and decision-making during crises. One of the most talked-about incidents relates to the 2023 Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, when Shivraj believed his political career was nearing its end.
The book was released at the NASC Complex located in Pusa, Delhi.
Here are 10 major revelations and stories from the book:
1. PM Modi’s call during Shivraj’s political crisis
Shivraj writes that before the 2023 Assembly elections, the BJP released its first candidate list without including his name.
At the same time, opposition leaders amplified a line from one of his speeches — “If I leave, people will miss me deeply” — portraying it as the end of his political career.
Amid the political speculation and criticism, Modi personally called him.
According to the book, Modi began the conversation by saying,
I am not speaking to the Chief Minister. I am speaking to my Shivraj.
Shivraj writes that Modi did not discuss politics but instead advised him to remain calm, spend time in solitude, and introspect.
The former CM says Modi spoke to him “like an elder brother” and understood that if his morale collapsed, it would demoralize lakhs of BJP workers.
Following the conversation, Shivraj traveled to Uttarakhand for reflection before returning energized to campaign aggressively. He reportedly addressed more than 165 public meetings in 13-14 days.
Then CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan addressing a public meeting in Ladkui, Sehore district on October 1, 2023.
2. Modi’s reaction after the Pahalgam terror attack
The book opens with references to a cabinet meeting held after the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, in which 26 people were killed.
Shivraj writes that Modi cut short his Saudi Arabia visit and returned to India immediately.
According to him, while everyone in the cabinet was anxious about the next steps, Modi appeared calm and composed.
The Prime Minister reportedly told ministers,
This operation will be different. It will be unlike surgical strikes or airstrikes. Those responsible and their handlers will not be spared.
Shivraj describes this as an example of decisive leadership under pressure.
This picture is from the time of the Pahalgam terrorist attack.
3. When Modi asked BJP workers about email IDs
The book also recalls an incident from the late 1990s, when computers and email were still unfamiliar in Indian politics.
Shivraj says he often saw Modi working for hours on a desktop computer in a small Delhi room.
During a 1998 BJP meeting in Madhya Pradesh, Modi reportedly asked party workers:
How many of you have an email ID?
Senior BJP leader Babulal Gaur jokingly replied:
You people keep talking about email-female, what’s the use of all this?
The room burst into laughter, but Shivraj writes that Modi had already understood that technology would shape the future of politics and governance.
4. PM Modi called Shivraj during COVID hospitalization
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Shivraj himself was hospitalized after testing positive.
He writes that he was surprised when Modi personally called to check on his health despite managing the national crisis.
According to Shivraj, Modi asked detailed questions about his oxygen levels, medicines, and family safety rather than offering only formal greetings.
Shivraj says the conversation felt more like concern from a senior family member than from the Prime Minister.
During the second wave of Corona, Shivraj himself got infected. He was admitted to the hospital. This photo is from that time.
5. Modi’s condolence call after Shivraj’s father passed away
Shivraj recalls that when his father died in 2019, the first condolence call came from Narendra Modi.
He says Modi not only expressed sympathy but also asked in detail about his father’s illness, final moments, and the family’s condition.
A few days later, when Shivraj met Modi in Delhi, the Prime Minister again inquired about the family.
6. Modi spent 40 minutes with Shivraj’s family before sons’ wedding
In 2025, Shivraj and his family visited Modi to invite him to his sons’ wedding.
He expected the meeting to last only a few minutes, but according to the book, Modi spent nearly 40 minutes with the family.
Shivraj writes that Modi discussed his sons’ dairy business in detail — asking about cattle breeds, milk production, and dairy products.
At the wedding ceremony, Modi reportedly interacted warmly with relatives, posed for photographs, and personally greeted guests.
PM Narendra Modi blessing Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s son Kartikey and daughter-in-law Amanat in Delhi.
7. Modi stopped Shivraj from going to the airport
During the 2014 Global Investors Summit in Indore, Shivraj was accompanying Modi to the airport as part of protocol after the event ended.
According to the book, Modi held his hand and told him,
Stay here among the delegates. That will benefit the state more.
Shivraj says Modi believed the Chief Minister’s time was more valuable with investors than in formal protocol duties.
A similar incident allegedly occurred during the inauguration of Mahakal Lok, when Modi advised him to remain among saints and devotees instead of heading toward the helipad.
8. Modi recognized an old party worker after two decades
The book narrates an emotional moment from a 2023 rally in Jhajjar, Haryana.
Modi reportedly noticed an old BJP worker named Deepak Kumar in the crowd. Deepak had worked in the Haryana BJP office during the 1990s and used to cook khichdi and porridge for Modi.
Despite more than 20 years passing, Modi recognized him instantly, walked up to him, hugged him, and recalled old memories.
Shivraj writes that those present were stunned that Modi remembered an ordinary worker after such a long time.
Many BJP stalwarts were present at the book launch event.
9. Modi refused to compromise on farmers during Trump tariff dispute
The book also references tariff tensions involving former US President Donald Trump.
According to Shivraj, there was concern that India might bow to American pressure.
However, Modi reportedly told the cabinet that there would be no compromise on the interests of farmers, fishermen, or livestock rearers — even if it came at a personal political cost.
Shivraj says Modi appeared “like a guardian of farmers’ interests” during the discussion.
Union Minister Shivraj Singh’s book also contains several pictures of him with PM Modi.
10. PM SVANidhi gave street vendors respect and identity
Shivraj writes emotionally about the PM SVANidhi scheme launched during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to him, street vendors earlier faced humiliation, with their carts often demolished overnight.
The scheme, he says, not only provided loans but also gave vendors dignity and identity.
Shivraj notes that Modi suggested directly interacting with beneficiaries, after which programs for street vendors were organized at the Chief Minister’s residence.
He says many vendors arrived in their best clothes, recited poems, and felt respected for the first time.
According to Shivraj, Modi encouraged viewing them not merely as beneficiaries but as “streetpreneurs.”
