New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned 75 on Wednesday, with greetings pouring in from across the political spectrum and the ruling BJP rolling out a nationwide campaign of service programmes to commemorate the milestone.
President Droupadi Murmu, in her message, lauded Modi for fostering a culture of setting and achieving great goals, noting that the world community has also expressed faith in his leadership.
“By exemplifying the pinnacle of hard work through your extraordinary leadership, you have instilled a culture of achieving great goals in the country,” she said.
Modi thanked her, saying the government would remain committed to building a strong and self-reliant India with the support of its 140 crore citizens.
The BJP has lined up a fortnight-long “Sewa Pakhwada”, featuring health camps, cleanliness drives, intellectual gatherings, and fairs promoting indigenous products across states and Union territories.
The programme will run till October 2, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti.
On his birthday, Modi travelled to Dhar in Madhya Pradesh to inaugurate a nationwide campaign on women and child health and nutrition.
He also unveiled development projects with a focus on tribal communities and addressed a public gathering.
Vice President C P Radhakrishnan said the country was moving steadily towards the goal of becoming a developed nation under Modi’s “visionary leadership”.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla described his commitment to the nation as an inspiration for every citizen.
Senior ministers and BJP leaders paid glowing tributes to Modi’s leadership.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh credited him with giving India “new energy and direction” while enhancing its global standing.
Home Minister Amit Shah, recalling over four decades of working alongside Modi, described him as a symbol of sacrifice and a living embodiment of the ‘nation first’ ethos.
“His unwavering resolve has transformed the lives of crores of citizens and connected them to the journey of a developed and self-reliant India,” Shah said.
BJP president J P Nadda said Modi’s vision had taken decisive steps towards building an “aatmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat”, while Union Minister Nitin Gadkari hailed him as the “world’s most popular leader”.
Actor-turned-politician Hema Malini also sent greetings, recalling her long association with him since his Gujarat days and praising his simple, sensitive nature.
Modi, born in Vadnagar, Gujarat, in 1950, is now the third longest-serving prime minister in India’s history after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, and second in terms of an uninterrupted tenure.
Since leading the BJP to its first Lok Sabha majority in 2014, he has overseen the party’s rise to national dominance, despite a setback in the 2024 general election when it fell short of the halfway mark.
The BJP has since bounced back with victories in state polls, reinforcing his continued central role in the party’s future.
