Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday received a warm welcome as he arrived at the ‘Viksit Bharat Sankalp Sabha’, organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as part of its ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’ marking his completion of 25 years as head of government.
People showered flowers on the Prime Minister, waved BJP flags and raised slogans, including ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ and ‘Swagat hai, bhai swagat hai; Modi ji ka swagat hai’. Several attendees were also seen recording his arrival on their mobile phones.
Addressing the gathering, BJP National President Nitin Nabin congratulated PM Modi on completing 25 years as head of government and said people were extending their blessings and best wishes for him to continue serving the country.
“People are giving their blessings and best wishes to you so you can continue serving the nation with the same dedication as you always have,” Nabin said.
“We are continuously extending our best wishes to you and wishing you success so that you can take forward the resolve of a Viksit Bharat. Over these 25 years, like a lamp burning itself, you have continuously strived through your hard work and dedication to spread the light of development, confidence and self-respect in the lives of 140 crore Indians,” he said.
Nabin described the occasion as an “unforgettable day” for Indians and BJP workers, saying PM Modi’s political journey had begun amid struggles and continued despite challenges.
He said PM Modi had made public service the purpose of his life and used politics and power as a means to serve the country.
“For him, public service became the path to serving the nation, and with this resolve, he continued to move forward on the path of serving the nation by making politics and power a means of service,” Nabin said.
Referring to former President Pranab Mukherjee, Nabin also highlighted PM Modi’s emergence as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and the party’s subsequent majority in the polls.
The BJP chief also highlighted various government welfare and development initiatives aimed at youth, students, women, the poor and sportspersons during PM Modi’s tenure.
PM Modi completed 25 years as head of government on October 7, a journey that began when he took oath as Gujarat Chief Minister in 2001 and has continued through three terms as Prime Minister.
He succeeded Keshubhai Patel as Gujarat Chief Minister in October 2001, when the state was grappling with the aftermath of the Bhuj earthquake as well as political and administrative challenges.
PM Modi remained Gujarat Chief Minister until 2014, when he moved to national politics and became Prime Minister.
His tenure as Prime Minister has also seen India expand its diplomatic engagement, strengthen relations with major powers and seek a more prominent role in the Global South.
(IANS Inputs)
