Shah unveils PM Modi’s birthday drive
Union Minister of Home Affairs, Amit Shah on Sunday said Narendra Modi-led Union Government had opened a new chapter of “politics of performance” by taking India away from corruption, casteism and dynastic politics. Shah was announcing the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan campaign, to be held from September 17 to October 17, mark Prime Minister Modi’s birthday and 25 years of his leadership in Gujarat and the Union Government.
The campaign’s slogan is Jan Seva Hi Prabhu Seva (public service is service to God). Shah said the goal is to encourage more people to help make India a developed country by 2047. He mentioned that in previous years, the party marked this occasion as Seva Saptah (service week) from September 17 to October 2.
“Very few leaders in this country have a record of serving the people continuously for 25 years as chief minister of a state and prime minister of the country,” Shah said.
Shah also said that PM Modi has helped the country move past policy paralysis, coalition pressures, and poor decision-making. Over the last 25 years, he said, Gujarat and India have seen major changes, especially in infrastructure and poverty reduction.
The campaign will have 12 main programmes. These will include blood donation and lamp-lighting events, painting and speech contests for young people, meetings with beneficiaries of Government schemes, and motorcycle journeys between Vadnagar, Modi’s birthplace, and Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency. There will also be events to make sure welfare schemes reach everyone. Other highlights are Seva Ke Rang Rashtra Ke Sang, which Shah called the world’s largest human-group rangoli, and the Seva First Innovation Challenge with five regional contests.
Talking about the economy, Shah said India has gone from being part of the Fragile Five to one of the world’s top five economies. He pointed to 7.8 per cent GDP growth in the first quarter as evidence of progress. Shah also said that GST, the Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile system, banking reforms, foreign investment, the Production Linked Incentive scheme, and Make in India have all helped boost manufacturing and overall growth.
He claimed 25 crore people had been lifted out of poverty. Among welfare measures, he listed free foodgrains for 81 crore people, 58 crore bank accounts, health cover of up to `5 lakh for 44 crore people, tap water connections to 16 crore households, `6,000 a year under PM-Kisan for 13 crore farmers, and toilets in 13 crore households. Ujjwala gas connections, housing and women’s self-help groups were also cited.
Shah said infrastructure has grown quickly, including roads, railways, airports, metros, ports, waterways, and digital networks. The number of airports has doubled from about 75 to 150. He also mentioned dedicated freight corridors, Vande Bharat trains, and better border connections. Shah highlighted the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which gives 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures, and noted more women are joining the armed forces, police, science, startups, drones, and sports.
Shah said the government has promoted Indian languages, responded strongly to terror attacks, and addressed issues like Article 370, Left-wing extremism, and security in the Northeast. According to Shah, surgical strikes, air strikes, and Operation Sindoor have shown a policy of ‘zero tolerance’ for terrorism.
Shah said projects like the Ayodhya Ram temple, Kashi Vishwanath Dham, Mahakal Lok, and the redevelopment of Kedarnath show efforts to develop important religious sites. He also mentioned the new Parliament building, the Sengol, Chandrayaan-3, Aditya-L1, One Rank One Pension, and the creation of the Chief of Defence Staff.
On foreign policy, Shah said India’s global position has improved through Vaccine Maitri, trade deals, and leading the G20 and BRICS. He said, “Whatever the problem in the world, the view of India’s Prime Minister matters today.” Shah also noted that Modi is the first prime minister in sixty years to be elected three times since the early years after Independence, saying this shows his 25-year record in public office.
