Varanasi

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Minister Chirag Paswan and BJP State President and Union Minister of State Pankaj Chaudhary on Thursday offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday.

Rajnath Singh said the leaders gathered at Kashi Vishwanath to offer prayers for the Prime Minister's long and healthy life and for the realisation of the goal of a Viksit Bharat.

Speaking to reporters, he said, “Today marks the birthday of PM Narendra Modi. On this occasion, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu, Union Minister Chirag Paswan, BJP State President and MoS Pankaj Chaudhary gathered here at Kashi Vishwanath to offer prayers.” 

Rajnath Singh said the rituals were duly performed and prayers were offered for Modi’s long and healthy life and the realisation of the goal of a ‘Viksit Bharat.’

“The rituals were duly performed, and we prayed to the god to grant Prime Minister Modi a long and healthy life and to enable the realisation of the goal of a ‘Viksit Bharat.’ It was with this very purpose that we came here," he added.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the occasion was a matter of pride and good fortune and that prayers were offered for Modi's good health and longevity.

He expressed hope that India's leadership would remain in Modi's hands for a long time and that, under his leadership, the country's 140 crore citizens would witness the realisation of the vision for a self-reliant, secure and developed India.

The Uttar Pradesh CM also expressed hope that India would rapidly advance towards becoming the world’s number one economy.

प्रधानमंत्री श्री नरेन्द्र मोदी के जन्मदिन के अवसर पर केंद्रीय रक्षा मंत्री श्री @rajnathsingh उत्तर प्रदेश के मुख्यमंत्री श्री योगी आदित्यनाथ, आंध्र प्रदेश के मुख्यमंत्री श्री एन. चंद्रबाबू नायडू, केंद्रीय मंत्री चिराग पासवान एवं उत्तर प्रदेश के भाजपा अध्यक्ष श्री पंकज चौधरी ने… pic.twitter.com/zq8mydcbZx

— BJP (@BJP4India) September 17, 2026

Speaking to reporters, he said, “We prayed to god for his good health and longevity, and that India’s leadership remains in his capable hands for a long time. We hope that under his leadership, the 140 crore citizens of India can witness the realisation of the vision for a self-reliant, secure, and developed nation, and that India rapidly advances towards becoming the world's number one economy...”

He also said sanitation workers serving at Baba Vishwanath Dham were felicitated.

Furthermore, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu described the occasion as historic and said the country was proud of Prime Minister Modi.

Speaking to ANI, Naidu said, “It is a very historic day. We are very happy to celebrate the PM’s birthday in Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The country is proud of him. The Prime Minister has brought this nation to great glory,” Naidu said.

He said India would become a developed nation in the next 25 years under Modi’s leadership and added that everyone had to serve the nation.

“In another 25 years' time, India will become a developed nation under his leadership. We are proud to celebrate his birthday in Kashi. All of us have to serve the nation. It is not an option..." he said.

Later, laddoos were distributed as prasad to bikers who will travel from ‘Varanasi to Vadnagar’ to spread the message of the Prime Minister’s 25 years of public service. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was born in 1950 to Hiraba and Damodardas Modi in Vadnagar in Gujarat's Mehsana district.

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Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is organising the ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’ across the country from September 17 to October 17 to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday, with a series of service-oriented programmes and public outreach initiatives.