Even as Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who turned 75 on Friday, didn’t celebrate his birthday, still warm wishes from eminent persons, including Prime Minister Navendra Modi, poured in for him through the social media and phone calls to make the day special for him.
Patnaik didn’t celebrate the birthday in view of Covid-19 pandemic impacting the humanity.In his Twitter handle, PM Modi wrote, “Birthday greetings to Odisha CM Shri Naveen Patnaik Ji. Praying for his long and healthy life.”
Prime Minister also spoke to Chief Minister Patnaik over telephone and wished him.“Heartfelt birthday wishes to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patanik. Let Lord Jagannath give you a long life. Praying for your healthy life,” tweeted Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Odia.
Noted sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik wished the CM through a sculpture displaying an image of Naveen. Besides, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Pratap Sarangi, Arjun Munda and Som Parkash, Lok Sabha member Jual Oram, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Jharkhand Cabinet Minister Joba Majhi, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, and entrepreneur Naveen Jindal conveyed their birthday greetings to Panaik.
On Thursday, Patnaik had announced not to celebrate his birthday and urged his well-wishers to help to poor and donate plasma for Covid-19 patients instead of rushing to Naveen Nivas to wish him.Patnaik didn’t celebrate his birthday for a consecutive third year.
Earlier, he had also not observed his birthday in 2011 for floods, 2013 for Cyclone Phailin and 2014 for Cyclone Hudhud. In 2016, he also preferred not to celebrate the occasion in honour of Jawans, who laid down their lives fighting against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir.
He also did not celebrate his for Cyclone Titli and subsequent floods in 2018 and for Fani in 2019.
Patnaik, born to Biju Patnaik and Gyan Patnaik in Cuttack on October 16, 1946, entered into politics in 1997 after demise of his father in 1997.After being elected as MP from Aska, he was the Union Steel Minister. But he has been serving the State as Chief Minister for consecutive fifth time since the year 2000.