Indian chess grandmaster Vaishali Rameshbabu took over Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s social media accounts on the occasion of International Women’s Day. The 23-year-old had a special message for young girls, parents, and siblings. “Vanakkam! I am @chessvaishali and I am thrilled to be taking over our PM Thiru @narendramodi Ji’s social media properties and that too on #WomensDay. As many of you would know, I play chess and I feel very proud to be representing our beloved country in many tournaments," she posted from PM Modi’s X, formerly Twitter, account.
“I was born on 21st June, which coincidentally is now popular as International Yoga Day. I’ve been playing chess since the age of 6! Playing chess has been a learning, thrilling and rewarding journey for me, reflecting in many of my tournament and Olympiad successes. But there is more…"
“I want to give a message to all the women out there, especially the young girls – follow your dreams, no matter the hurdles. Your passion will power your success. I want to encourage women to follow their dreams and break barriers in any field they choose because I know they can!"
“I want to further improve my FIDE ranking and make my country prouder. Chess has given me so much and I look forward to contributing more to the sport I love. In the same spirit, I want to tell young girls to pursue any sport they feel like. Sports is among the best teachers."
“I’ve also got a message for parents and siblings – SUPPORT GIRLS. Trust their abilities and they’ll do wonders. In my life, I have been blessed with supportive parents, Thiru Rameshbabu and Thirumathi Nagalakshmi. My brother, @rpraggnachess and I also share a close bond. I have also been fortunate to have excellent coaches, teammates and of course I am very inspired by @vishy64theking Sir. I feel that today’s India provides a lot of support to women athletes, which is very encouraging. From inspiring women to pursue sports to training to giving them adequate sporting exposure, the progress India is making is exceptional," she added.
Also Read | ‘We Bow to Our Nari Shakti’: PM Modi Wishes on International Women’s Day 2025 (Watch Video).
Prime Minister Modi paid tributes to 'Nari Shakti' on International Women's Day on Saturday and reaffirmed his government's commitment to women's empowerment through various schemes and programmes. He also reiterated that women achievers from various fields would be taking over his social media accounts for the day.
"We bow to our Nari Shakti on #WomensDay! Our government has always worked for empowering women, reflecting in our schemes and programmes. Today, as promised, my social media properties will be taken over by women who are making a mark in diverse fields," Modi said in a post on X.
This is not the first time that women achievers will be taking over the PM's social media accounts. On International Women's Day in 2020, Modi's social media accounts were operated by seven women achievers, providing them a global platform to inspire others.