PM Modi Turns 76: Leaders Across Parties Extend Birthday Wishes as Month-Long Seva Campaign Begins
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned 76 on Thursday, September 17, with political leaders from across the country extending birthday greetings and sharing messages highlighting his long public career.
Among those who wished the prime minister was Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who kept his message brief. In a post on X, Gandhi wished Modi good health and a long life.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin also conveyed his birthday wishes, expressing hopes for the prime minister’s good health and long life. Several other senior political leaders, including President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C P Radhakrishnan, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union ministers and chief ministers, also sent greetings to Modi.
Rajnath Singh Highlights ‘Viksit Bharat’ Vision
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh extended his greetings to Modi and spoke about the government’s development agenda. In his message, Singh highlighted areas including infrastructure, digital connectivity, welfare initiatives, innovation and entrepreneurship, linking these efforts to the broader goal of building a ‘Viksit Bharat’.
Singh also described good governance and public service as important elements of the country’s development journey and wished the prime minister good health, a long life and continued strength in his service to the nation.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also wished Modi on his birthday, saying that the prime minister’s leadership was connected with the government’s goal of taking India towards developed-country status.
Amit Shah Praises Modi’s Public Service
Union Home Minister Amit Shah was among the other senior leaders who extended birthday greetings to Modi.
In his message, Shah referred to Modi’s long political journey and described him as a symbol of hard work, sacrifice and foresight. He said Modi had made public service the central purpose of his life and expressed his wishes for the prime minister’s long life and good health.
Shah also highlighted the government’s stated objective of taking India towards Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Kejriwal Takes a Different View
While several leaders focused on Modi’s birthday and his public service, former Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal used the occasion to reiterate his criticism of the prime minister.
Kejriwal referred to his earlier allegations concerning voter-list irregularities in Delhi and linked them to the political circumstances surrounding the BJP’s victory in the capital. These allegations have been politically contested and should be understood as Kejriwal’s stated position rather than an established finding.
The contrasting messages reflected the wider political responses to Modi’s birthday, with leaders offering congratulations while also using the occasion to express their respective political positions.
Month-Long ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’ Begins
Modi’s 76th birthday also marks the beginning of a month-long ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’, which is scheduled to continue from September 17 to October 17. The campaign is being organised around the theme of service and is also intended to mark Modi’s 25 years in public life.
The programme includes a range of activities such as blood donation drives, health camps, cleanliness campaigns, plantation programmes, public outreach events and initiatives involving students and party workers.
One of the campaign’s programmes is ‘Ashirwad Ka Diya’, under which people and beneficiaries of government schemes are being encouraged to light diyas and offer prayers for Modi’s health and long life.
Another initiative, ‘Seva Mera Yogdan’, encourages people to dedicate 25 minutes to service activities such as blood donation, plantation and cleanliness drives.
Activities Planned Across the Country
The birthday campaign includes several programmes designed to involve different sections of society.
Under ‘25 Crore Children’s Dreams of India’, school students are being encouraged to participate in drawing, speech and other competitions. Selected entries are expected to be showcased at higher-level exhibitions.
The ‘Namo Seva Gatha’ programme will use street plays in villages, schools and colleges to highlight Modi’s 25 years in public life and government welfare initiatives.
At Anganwadi centres, ‘Aangan Ka Utsav’ will focus on workers, mothers, nutrition and awareness of welfare schemes.
Another initiative, ‘Kahani Badlav Ki’, aims to collect stories from citizens who say government schemes have affected their lives.
The campaign also includes digital outreach, with influencers, bloggers and other content creators being taken to locations presented as examples of development and transformation.
Bike Rallies From Vadnagar and Varanasi
Two motorcycle rallies are also part of the celebrations, linking Vadnagar in Gujarat, where Modi was born, with Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency. Senior BJP leaders are scheduled to participate in events connected with the campaign in Varanasi.
The Varanasi programme is also being used to launch the wider month-long campaign. The celebrations bring together party workers, elected representatives, volunteers and members of different sections of society.
Birthday Celebrations Blend Politics and Public Outreach
Modi’s 76th birthday has therefore become more than a traditional birthday celebration, with political greetings being accompanied by a nationwide programme of service and public outreach.
While supporters and members of the government have highlighted Modi’s development agenda and 25 years in public life, opposition leaders have used the occasion to reiterate their political positions and criticisms.
As the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan continues until October 17, activities ranging from health and blood donation camps to cleanliness drives, student programmes and public outreach events are expected to take place across different parts of the country.
News source: Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
