New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned 75 on Wednesday with a host of prominent personalities, including world leaders, lauding his leadership, while the ruling BJP organised welfare initiatives under the fortnight-long “Sewa Pakhwada” to mark the birthday of its preeminent leader.
PM Modi said he was overwhelmed by the countless wishes and messages of affection from across the nation and overseas and resolved to continue working with even greater energy and devotion to realise the dream of a Viksit Bharat.
Keeping with his practice of unveiling development programmes from different states on his birthday, Modi travelled to Dhar in Madhya Pradesh to launch a nationwide campaign focusing on the health and nutrition of women and children.
At a public meeting, he hailed the rise of a New India which brought Pakistan “to its knees” during the recent military conflict.
“Our brave soldiers brought Pakistan to its knees in the blink of an eye. Just yesterday, the country and the world saw a Pakistani terrorist weeping and recounting his plight,” Modi said, a day after a viral video emerged of a Jaish-e-Mohamad (JeM) commander speaking of the Indian strikes destroying the organisation’s headquarters, killing terrorists and their associates.
“This is the New India, which does not fear any nuclear threats. It enters the enemy’s house and strikes,” Modi said.
He made a strong pitch for “swadeshi” goods and also launched “Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar” and the eighth annual National Nutrition Month campaigns.
He urged people to buy made-in-India goods. “Shops selling ‘made in India’ goods should have ‘Garv se kaho yeh swadeshi hai’ boards,” he said.
BJP governments in states and the party’s organisation in different places started or have lined up an array of outreach, welfare and awareness programmes covering health camps to cleanliness drives, get-togethers of intellectuals and fairs to promote indigenous products. The exercise will continue till October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
Birthday wishes for Modi, who was born in a poor family in Gujarat’s Vadnagar and has led the BJP to unprecedented geographical expansion and electoral successes since 2014, poured in.
President Droupadi Murmu praised him for instilling a culture of achieving great goals in the country. “Today, the global community is also expressing its faith in your guidance,” she said.
Vice President C P Radhakrishnan said India is making a mark on the global stage and moving steadily towards the goal of a developed nation under his visionary leadership.
BJP leaders and members of other parties extended birthday wishes to Modi.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Modi, with his visionary leadership, dedication to the nation and untiring hardwork, has given the country new energy and shown it a new direction.
He has enhanced India’s capability and respect globally, and his commitment to people’s and the poor’s welfare is exemplary, Singh said.
Home Minister Amit Shah said Modi has been working tirelessly for people’s welfare for more than five decades, and he is a living inspiration of the ‘nation first’ motto for every citizen.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha wished him good health in their greetings.
In posts on X, Shah described the prime minister as a symbol of sacrifice and dedication, and inspiration for crores of countrymen.
The home minister said from the RSS to the party and the government, Modi’s journey in life shows the possibility of extensive transformations when resolve is as unwavering as the Himalayas and vision is as vast as the ocean.
“Workers like me are fortunate to have had the chance to work with him in every role he has undertaken,” he said.
BJP president J P Nadda said PM Modi has taken many transformative steps to build an “aatmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat” with the goal of progress of every section of society.
Under his leadership, India’s spiritual and cultural heritage has received global prestige, he added.
Several world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, extended birthday greetings to Modi.
Putin praised Modi for his “great personal contribution” to strengthening the partnership between the two countries.
“Through your activities as head of government, you have earned the high respect of your compatriots and enormous authority on the world stage,” Putin said in a message published on the Kremlin website.
A day earlier, US President Donald Trump had dialled Modi and extended birthday greetings, sparking hopes of a reset in the bilateral ties that came under severe strain after Washington doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent.
Trump said Modi is doing a tremendous job and thanked the prime minister for his support in ending the war in Ukraine.
In a post on X, Modi said the innumerable wishes and the faith people have reposed in him are a source of great strength. The prime minister said he sees them as a blessing not for him alone, but for the work “we are doing together to build a better India”.
“Gratitude to Jana Shakti. I am truly overwhelmed by the countless wishes, blessings and messages of affection that have poured in from across the nation and overseas. This affection strengthens and inspires me. I thank the people for the same,” he said.
Noting that people across India have been undertaking various social service initiatives, many of which will continue in the coming days, Modi said this inherent goodness in the people sustains the Indian society and gives all the courage to overcome all challenges with hope and positivity.
He complimented everyone who is at the forefront of such endeavours.
“I resolve to continue working with even greater energy and devotion, so that we realise our dream of a Viksit Bharat,” the prime minister said.
“I have not been able to reply to the wishes individually, but I will say again – this affection has touched my heart deeply. I pray for everyone’s good health and well-being,” Modi said.
In the national capital, Shah inaugurated 17 welfare schemes of the Delhi government on the occasion of Modi’s 75th birthday.
Modi is the third-longest serving prime minister of India after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi and second in terms of an uninterrupted tenure.
If the BJP emerged as the main challenger to the Congress under the dual leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani in the late 1980s, it has left the main opposition party far behind in popular support and poll dominance under Modi.
While the BJP suffered a setback in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as it fell short of the halfway mark, it has since recovered its mojo by pulling off impressive wins in assembly elections in Haryana and Maharashtra.
