Namo at 76! India's prime minister all set to mark new political milestone

NEW DELHI: After the successful BRICS summit, which showcased India's diplomatic prowess, global attention will turn to Delhi once again tomorrow. On September 17th, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be celebrating his 76th birthday.

On October 7, he will mark another milestone in his political career by completing 25 consecutive years in the offices of Chief Minister and Prime Minister. To celebrate this, the BJP’s month-long 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' (Service Pledge Campaign) begins tomorrow. Modi served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat for 13 years starting October 6, 2001, and has been the Prime Minister of India since 2014. He has surpassed Jawaharlal Nehru's record to hold the office of Prime Minister for the longest duration.

Achievements:

• The first Prime Minister born after independence and the longest-serving Prime Minister from a non-Hindi-speaking state

• Apart from Nehru, the only Prime Minister to lead a political party to victory in three consecutive elections

• The only leader to guide a party to victory in six consecutive elections—spanning the Gujarat Legislative Assembly (2002, 2007, 2012) and the Lok Sabha (2014, 2019, 2024)

• Did the impossible by bringing BJP to power in Bengal while ousting the people's favourite Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi

• Made Ram Temple a reality and abrogated Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir

• Gained recognition and acceptance from Western nations (including the US, France, the UK, and Italy) as well as Muslim-majority Gulf countries

• Earned acclaim for successfully hosting the G20 and BRICS summits, showcasing India's diplomatic prowess and organisational excellence

• Overcame the COVID-19 crisis

• Improved relations with China after the fiery Galwan clash

• Dealt a strong blow to Pakistan through Operation Sindoor, surgical strikes

• Spearheaded construction of new Parliament building

Narendra Modi is no stranger to allegations. His role in the 2002 Gujarat riots still remains contested after allegations surfaced that he failed to prevent the violence and had tacitly condoned various incidents. However, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the riot-related cases submitted a report to the Supreme Court clearing him of all charges. The Court dismissed petitions challenging this finding and observed that some individuals had fabricated false evidence in an attempt to implicate Modi in the case. Making a strong comeback, Modi led the BJP to power at the Centre with a massive majority in 2014. Since then, there has been no looking back.