NEW DELHI, Sep 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned 75 on Wednesday, with the BJP marking the occasion by launching a fortnight-long “Sewa Pakhwada” and a host of political leaders and dignitaries hailing his leadership.
The BJP-led governments at the Centre and states have planned nationwide programmes until October 2, including health camps, cleanliness drives, intellectual meets, and fairs promoting indigenous products. Modi himself travelled to Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, to launch a campaign focused on women and child nutrition, tribal welfare, and other development initiatives.
President Droupadi Murmu praised Modi for instilling a culture of setting and achieving great goals, while Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan, Speaker Om Birla, and senior ministers lauded his vision and commitment. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh credited Modi with giving the country “new energy and direction,” and Home Minister Amit Shah described him as a “living inspiration of the nation first motto.”
BJP president J.P. Nadda said Modi’s leadership has advanced the vision of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat and enhanced India’s spiritual and cultural standing globally. Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and other leaders echoed similar sentiments. Actor-turned-politician Hema Malini called Modi’s tenure transformative, recalling personal associations with him dating back to his Gujarat days.
Modi, India’s third longest-serving prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, thanked well-wishers, reaffirming his government’s commitment to building a strong, self-reliant India with the support of its 140 crore citizens.
Since leading the BJP to its first majority in 2014, Modi has overseen its electoral dominance, though the party faced a setback in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. It has since bounced back with victories in Haryana and Maharashtra under his leadership. (Agencies)
