Varanasi: Extending birthday greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his parliamentary constituency, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, “Under Modiji’s leadership, a secure India now speaks to the world eye to eye.”After launching ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’ on PM Modi’s 76th birthday and viewing the exhibition ‘25 years of Janseva se Rashtra Seva’, based on his life, at the Rudraksha International Cooperation and Convention Centre in the presence of defence minister Rajnath Singh, Yogi said, “The 25 years of the Prime Minister’s Seva Sankalp are going to be completed on Oct 7. On Oct 7, 2001, Modiji took the oath as Gujarat CM. Without stopping, bowing or wavering, he took this journey forward with the mantra of ‘Charaiveti-Charaiveti’. With penance, hard work and spiritual discipline, the people of the country are witnessing his glorious journey as PM and feeling a sense of pride in New India.”After flagging off the ‘Seva Sankalp Bike Yatra’ from Varanasi, the karmabhoomi of PM Modi, to Vadnagar, his janmabhoomi, jointly with Rajnath, CM Yogi highlighted PM Modi’s life and achievements.He said the initiative marks two symbolic journeys: riders from Vadnagar, Modi’s birthplace in Gujarat, will carry water from sacred rivers of Gujarat to Lord Vishwanath in Kashi, while riders from Kashi will take water from 10 rivers of Uttar Pradesh to Lord Hatkeshwar in Vadnagar. The routes will cover 10 states and reflect the spirit of Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat.Yogi felicitated the participating youth, saying they would travel 100 kilometres daily during the 20-day journey and join four programmes focused on dialogue, service and national unity. He described the journey, continuing until Oct 7, as memorable and inspiring.CM Yogi said Modi’s life, which began in Gujarat 25 years ago, has become a journey of service involving every Indian. He cited welfare measures including homes for four crore families, toilets in 12 crore households, Ujjwala connections for 11 crore families, electricity, internet and banking in villages, free ration for 80 crore people since the Covid period and Ayushman Bharat health cover benefiting 60 crore people.He said transparent recruitment, Startup India, Stand-Up India, Digital India and support for artisans have created opportunities for youth and revived traditional enterprise. He pointed to rapid progress in roads, railways, airports, metro networks, semiconductors, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, drones and robotics.Yogi said India is among the world’s top four economies and combines development with respect for heritage. He mentioned Kashi Vishwanath Dham, Shri Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Vindhyavasini Corridor, Kumbh, Kedarpuri, Badrinath and Mahakal Lok as symbols of New India.He added that yoga has gained global recognition and Kumbh received Unesco recognition under Modi’s leadership, reflecting his vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and heritage-led national development today.Earlier, Rajnath and Yogi flagged off 500 youth riding 250 bikes amid a shower of flowers. A short film on the positive changes brought about in the country under the PM’s leadership was also screened during the programme. CM Yogi prayed to Lord Vishwanath, Goddesses Ganga and Annapurna for PM Modi’s long, healthy life and for the realisation of the vision of a self-reliant and developed India.On the occasion, Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, Union minister Chirag Paswan, Union minister of state for finance and BJP state president Pankaj Chaudhary, journey convener and Khajuraho MP Vishnudutt Sharma, Andhra Pradesh MP Lavu Sri Krishna, Satish Babu, BJP national secretary and Uttar Pradesh co-in charge Jagdish Bhai Patel, members of the Uttar Pradesh council of ministers Anil Rajbhar, JPS Rathore, Dayashankar Mishra ‘Dayalu’, Ravindra Jaiswal and Hansraj Vishwakarma, MLAs Saurabh Srivastava, Neelkanth Tiwari and Awadhesh Singh, BJYM state president Rohit Mishra, BJP regional president Ashok Chaurasia, among others, were also present.
