On Modi's birthday, CM Omar Abdullah wishes PM would grant J&K statehood

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge both extended their best wishes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 76th birthday. Prime Minister Modi, born on September 17, 1950, in Vadnagar, Gujarat, was celebrated across multiple locations.

Mallikarjun Kharge expressed his birthday wishes for PM Modi on the microblogging platform X, stating, "Best wishes to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji on his birthday. May he be blessed with good health and long life." Gandhi also posted a birthday greeting for Modi, wishing him good health and a long life.

In Varanasi, 76 young priests performed special prayers and milk abhishek of the Ganga, seeking Modi's good health and long life. The ritual was led by DMK president and former chief minister M K Stalin, and was attended by various political leaders, including Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Union minister Chirag Paswan, among others.

A motorcycle journey from Varanasi to Modi’s birthplace, Vadnagar, is also planned as part of the celebrations. In Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma encouraged citizens to light candles and earthen lamps to commemorate the occasion.