PM Modi Turns 76: BJP Rolls Out Month‑Long Service Campaign

On Thursday, September 17, Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated his 76th birthday – a milestone that also doubles up as a silver‑jubilee of his public‑service career. The BJP chose the occasion to roll out a sprawling, month‑long outreach called ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’, branding the day as ‘Seva Diwas’ and promising a flurry of civic activities across the country.

The programme, slated to run until October 17, is a mixed bag of blood‑donation camps, health check‑ups, cleanliness drives, tree‑planting, water‑conservation projects and a host of other community‑service initiatives. In short, the party is trying to turn a birthday celebration into a nationwide act of service.

One of the headline attractions was the launch of twin motorcycle yatras that will link Vadnagar – Modi’s birthplace in Gujarat – with Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency. Home Minister Amit Shah ceremonially flagged off the Vadnagar‑Varanasi leg, while Defence Minister Rajnath Singh set the wheels turning for the return journey from Varanasi. The rides will criss‑cross ten states, covering roughly 40,000 kilometres, passing through 193 districts and more than 1,100 villages. About a thousand youngsters are expected to take part, and the rides are scheduled to wrap up on October 7.

Beyond the bike rallies, the party rolled out an ‘Ashirwad Ka Diya’ campaign that encourages ordinary citizens to light lamps at home. More than 500 prominent locations – from Delhi’s Vijay Chowk to countless villages in Gujarat – will be illuminated in a symbolic show of goodwill.

In Delhi, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced a grand lighting of 125,000 lamps along Kartavya Path and Vijay Chowk. The same day the Delhi government launched an organ‑donation portal, with Gupta herself registering as the first donor, and organised a city‑wide blood‑donation drive. A new ‘NaMo Shramik Kendra’ was also unveiled to connect workers with welfare schemes.

Modi took to X to thank citizens for the lamp‑lighting initiative, writing, “Ashirwad Ka Diya is one such expression of affection that has deeply touched me.” He added that every blessing only strengthens his resolve to serve the nation with even greater devotion.

Religious ceremonies were woven into the tapestry of celebrations. In Varanasi, leaders gathered at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple for special prayers, while 76 priests performed Ganga abhishek on the riverbank. Ayodhya saw a cleanliness drive at Lata Mangeshkar Chowk, and Tamil Nadu BJP volunteers set up medical camps, tree‑planting events and programmes for sanitation workers.

BJP president Nitin Nabin inaugurated a blood‑donation camp at the party’s headquarters, remarking that Modi’s public‑life journey – which began as Gujarat’s chief minister in 2001 – has always been about “service, good governance and public welfare”. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath offered prayers for Modi’s health and linked the celebrations to the government’s vision of a self‑reliant India.

The ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’ will continue to roll out new service‑oriented events until October 17, with the motorcycle yatras set to finish on October 7 – a date that coincides with the day Modi first took office as Gujarat’s chief minister. As the celebrations unfold, the BJP hopes the month‑long push will translate birthday wishes into tangible benefits for ordinary Indians.