New Delhi, Sept 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked his 75th birthday on Wednesday, drawing tributes from across the political spectrum and prompting the BJP to unveil a two-week “Sewa Pakhwada” with a wide range of outreach and welfare initiatives across the country.
The ruling party has lined up programmes including health camps, cleanliness drives, intellectual gatherings, and fairs promoting indigenous products, which will continue until October 2. Modi himself travelled to Dhar in Madhya Pradesh, where he launched a nationwide campaign focused on improving health and nutrition among women and children, besides unveiling schemes with an emphasis on tribal welfare. He also addressed a public gathering there.
President Droupadi Murmu extended her greetings, recalling Modi’s journey from Vadnagar in Gujarat to national leadership. “By exemplifying the pinnacle of hard work through your extraordinary leadership, you have instilled a culture of achieving great goals in the country. Today, the global community is also expressing its faith in your guidance,” Murmu said.
In response, Modi thanked her and said his government would stay committed to building a strong, capable, and self-reliant India. “The vision and ideas shared by you are inspirational. Together with 140 crore citizens, we remain dedicated to nation-building,” he wrote.
Vice President CP Radhakrishnan described Modi’s leadership as helping India “make a mark on the global stage and move steadily towards becoming a developed nation.” Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla noted that Modi’s “unparalleled dedication and commitment to the country is an inspiration to every Indian.”
BJP leaders and senior Union ministers also lauded the prime minister. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Modi’s “visionary leadership and untiring hard work have given the country new energy and direction.” Home Minister Amit Shah praised him as a leader who has placed the nation first for more than five decades, from his days in the RSS to his current role as prime minister.
“From an RSS pracharak to chief minister of Gujarat and now 11 years as prime minister, Modi has always put the nation before himself,” Shah said, calling him “a living inspiration of the ‘nation first’ motto.” He added, “The entire nation takes pride in Modi, who has brought unimaginable changes to the lives of crores of citizens and connected them to the journey of building a developed and self-reliant India.”
