Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, extended his birthday greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 75th birthday. Gandhi took to X (formerly Twitter) to wish him good health.
“Wishing Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji a happy birthday and good health,” he wrote.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also posted a message on X, stating, “Best wishes to Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi Ji on his birthday. May he be blessed with good health and long life.”
Social media users quickly scrutinized the subtleties in Gandhi’s message, noting that the respectful prefix ‘Shri’ was absent, and he did not tag PM Modi in his post. One user remarked, “You forgot to use ‘Shri’…In Indian culture, ‘Shri’ or ‘Shrimati’ is typically used before the names of those elder to you.” Another user commented, “You could have shown a bigger heart and tagged him as well.”
A separate comment noted, “I know you wished Modi ji a happy birthday with a heavy heart… but it’s still okay. May God grant you continued losing elections to Modi ji.”
Congress leader Manickam Tagore also conveyed his wishes via a post, writing, “Wishing Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji a happy 75th birthday and good health.”
Arvind Kejriwal, national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), also shared birthday greetings on X, stating, “Birthday greetings to Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi Ji. Wishing you good health and a long life.”
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has planned extensive celebrations for PM Modi’s 75th birthday on September 17, initiating a 15-day nationwide campaign dubbed ‘Seva Pakhwada.’ This campaign will feature blood donation camps, cleanliness drives, and exhibitions to highlight the achievements of the central government.
PM Modi is set to commence the campaign with a visit to Dhar in Madhya Pradesh, focusing on health and nutrition for women and children. Additionally, he will launch various development programs with an emphasis on the tribal population and will address the public during the events.
BJP leaders, allies, and members of various parties have also shared birthday wishes for Modi, who has led his party to significant electoral success and geographical expansion since 2014.
(With inputs from agencies)