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Rajnath Singh, Yogi Adityanath kick-start PM Modi’s birthday celebrations in Varanasi
The defence minister and the chief minister flagged off the ‘Seva Sankalp Bike Yatra,’ from Varanasi, the prime minister’s ‘karmabhoomi’ (field of duty) to his ‘janmabhoomi’ (birthplace) Vadnagar, and launched the month-long Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, which commemorates Modi’s 25 years in public life
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Defence minister Rajnath Singh and chief minister Yogi Adityanath led a galaxy of leaders in kickstarting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday celebrations across Uttar Pradesh from Modi’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi on Thursday.
The defence minister and the chief minister flagged off the ‘Seva Sankalp Bike Yatra,’ from Varanasi, the prime minister’s ‘karmabhoomi’ (field of duty) to his ‘janmabhoomi’ (birthplace) Vadnagar, and launched the month-long Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, which commemorates Modi’s 25 years in public life.
Speaking on the occasion, Rajnath Singh said India’s economy was among the “Fragile Five” when Modi had assumed office as PM in 2014 but was now among the “Fabulous Five” economies of the world. If the West Asia crisis had not arisen, India would have been among the world’s three fabulous economies by now, Singh said.
For his part, Adityanath said the prime minister is scripting the saga of a New India through his spirit of service, resolve and dedicated endeavour.
Commenting on the Varanasi to Vadnagar and the Vadnagar yatras, Rajnath Singh said, “The divinity of Kashi is going to Gujarat. The faith of Gujarat is coming to Kashi. This journey between the birthplace and the land of work is remarkable. This journey involves not just an exchange of water, but also an exchange of emotions. The milestones of this journey are as important as the destination.”
For his part, Adityanath said under Modi’s leadership, there has been a tangible transformation in the lives of the poor.
The chief minister wished the PM good health, longevity, and continued service to the nation.
Linking Modi’s tenure with the redevelopment of major religious and cultural centres, citing the transformation of Kashi Vishwanath Dham and the construction of the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya, Adityanath further said these developments represented the fulfilment of long-standing aspirations associated with India’s religious heritage.
The chief minister said that under the leadership of Modi, Yoga gained global recognition, and the Kumbh was recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Apart from Rajnath Singh and Yogi Adityanath, those present at the Rudraksh International Cooperation and Convention Centre included Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Union minister for food processing industries Chirag Paswan, Union minister of state for finance and BJP state president Pankaj Chaudhary, yatra convenor and Khajuraho MP Vishnu Dutt Sharma; Andhra Pradesh MPs Lavu Sri Krishna and Satish Babu; BJP national secretary and UP co-in-charge Jagdish Bhai Patel. They also viewed an exhibition ‘25 Years: From Public Service to Nation Service,’ which chronicles the prime minister’s life.
Also present on the occasion were UP ministers Anil Rajbhar, JPS Rathore, Dayashankar Mishra ‘Dayalu’, Ravindra Jaiswal, and Hansraj Vishwakarma; MLAs Saurabh Srivastava, Neelkanth Tiwari, and Avadhesh Singh; BJYM state president Rohit Mishra; and BJP regional president Ashok Chaurasia, among others.
PRAYERS OFFERED
Defence minister Rajnath Singh and chief minister Yogi Adityanath offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple on the occasion, performing jalabhishek (ritual bathing of the deity with water) and aarti.
