Happy birthday PM Modi: BJP plans record Covid vaccination as gift

On the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 71st birthday on Friday, the BJP has planned a mega public outreach.

The 20-day mega campaign, titled ‘Seva aur Samarpan Abhiyan’, will be held between September 17 and October 7 to also commemorate his 20 years in public life, including as Gujarat chief minister.

The party has asked its workers across the country to facilitate Covid-19 vaccination drive on the birthday as part of its “Seva and Samarpan” campaign.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday called for a major push to the vaccination drive on Friday, saying it would be the perfect gift for Modi on his birthday.

Since Modi became prime minister in 2014, the BJP has been celebrating his birthday as ‘Seva Diwas’ (Service Day) and organises welfare activities across the country for a week but this time it has been extended to 20 days as he is completing his two decades holding public office.

BJP president J P Nadda has issued a set of instructions to party workers for organising health and blood donation camps and distributing rations to poor as part of the campaign.

Over 14 crore ration bags printed with Modi’s pictures will also be distributed among the needy during the exercise.