Bihar CM, other BJP leaders take part in Ashirwad Ka Diya event to mark PM’s birthday

On September 17, 2026, the Bihar unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) organized the Ashirwad Ka Diya program across Bihar to commemorate Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 76th birthday. The event was part of the party's one-month Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, during which leaders and party workers lit over 20 lakh diyas in various locations throughout the state.

Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary participated in multiple events, lighting the diya at Pataliputra Sports Complex. BJP State President Sanjay Saraogi attended a similar function in Darbhanga. A blood donation camp was also organized at the BJP office in Patna, where Choudhary distributed certificates.

In his speech, Choudhary praised the Prime Minister’s commitment to India's development, highlighting numerous public welfare schemes implemented under his leadership, including housing for the poor, electricity and toilets in every household, and food grains and healthcare facilities. Opposition parties, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), criticized the celebrations, arguing that they were a waste of public money during a time of crisis, particularly after recent floods that affected 50 lakh people.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav shared official orders from the Education Department and Education Project Council requiring private and government schools to light lamps in their campuses on the same day, describing it as forced celebration. The CPI(ML) also condemned the government's focus on such events, urging instead for immediate aid and relief for flood victims.