Varanasi, 17 Sept (HS): Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on

Thursday greeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 76th birthday and 25 years

of public life from his parliamentary constituency, Varanasi. He said life

should be big, not long, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has achieved this

through his leadership, vision, and dedication. For the past 25 years, he has

consistently held constitutional positions with full devotion and will continue

to serve the nation for decades to come.

The Defense Minister was addressing a gathering at the

Rudraksh Convention Center in Sigra to mark Prime Minister Modi's birthday and

25 years in public life. During the event, he, along with Uttar Pradesh Chief

Minister Yogi Adityanath, flagged off the Seva Sankalp Bike Yatra

from Varanasi to Vadnagar in Gujarat.

Rajnath Singh said that India was once not taken seriously,

but today the world listens attentively to what India has to say. He said that

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taught the countrymen to be proud of their

civilization and believe in their capabilities. Where ordinary people's

thinking ends, Narendra Modi's vision begins.

Referring to the devastating earthquake that struck Gujarat

in 2001, he said that at that time, there were many concerns about Gujarat's

future. Questions were raised about how Gujarat would stand on its own feet,

but under Narendra Modi's leadership, the state's landscape has changed. He

said that Gujarat has progressed rapidly from a Test match to an ODI.

Referring to the Prime Minister's working style, the Defense

Minister said that where others see problems, the Prime Minister sees

solutions. He said that this very characteristic is playing a crucial role in

moving the country forward. Rajnath Singh said that before Narendra Modi became

Prime Minister for the first time in 2014, no one could have imagined that the

coming decade would bring such transformation for the country. He said that

before 2014, India missed many opportunities. Citing the example of the

semiconductor sector, he said that chips are used in everything from mobile

phones to the BrahMos missile, but previously, the opportunities for

semiconductor manufacturing in the country could not be exploited. He claimed

that under Prime Minister Modi's leadership, India has achieved significant

progress in semiconductor manufacturing and that 'Made in India' chips have

begun to be manufactured in the country.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said that when Prime Minister

Narendra Modi's legacy is written in the future, it will also include how he

liberated the country from Naxalism, abolished Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir,

lifted millions out of poverty, ensured equal participation for women in

Parliament, and gave wings to the dreams of young people. A great leader

empowers people, and Prime Minister Modi has done just that.

The Defence Minister described the 'Seva Sankalp Bike Yatra'

as not just a journey from one place to another, but a journey connecting two

places. He said that Narendra Modi received the blessings of his mother Hiraben

in Vadnagar, Gujarat. This journey symbolizes the confluence of culture, spiritual

practice and service. He said that the water being brought from Varanasi will

be used to perform the Jalabhishek of Baba Hatkeshwar in Vadnagar, Gujarat.

This symbolizes the union of the divinity of Kashi and the faith of Gujarat.

This journey, starting between the birthplace and the land of work, is not just

an exchange of water, but also a journey of exchange of emotions.

Rajnath Singh said that the journey's milestones are even

more important than the destination. He added that this journey will also bring

an emotional union between the land of Baba Somnath and the land of Baba

Vishwanath. He mentioned that nearly two thousand years ago, Buddhist monks

traveled from Sarnath to Vadnagar.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Andhra Pradesh

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Union Minister Chirag Paswan, State BJP

President Pankaj Chaudhary, Yatra coordinator and Khajuraho MP Vishnudutt

Sharma, Andhra Pradesh MP Lavu Srikrishna, Satish Babu, BJP National Minister

and co-incharge of Uttar Pradesh Jagdish Bhai Patel along with other public

representatives were present in the program.

Before the programme, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief

Minister Yogi Adityanath, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu,

Union Ministers and national and state officials of BJP visited the exhibition

'25 years of public service to nation' based on the life of Prime Minister

Narendra Modi.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi