BJP chief Nitin Nabin slams the opposition for criticizing PM Modi’s birthday celebrations

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President Nitin Nabin on Thursday (September 17, 2026) hit out at Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his party’s criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday celebrations, including the lighting of more than 25 lakh diyas (earthen lamps by Prajejash at the Majjash event) in the U.

In an ‘Ashirwad ka Diya’ (lamp of blessing) event, 33.27 lakh clay lamps were lit in Ujjain on the occasion of Mr. Modi’s birthday. The state government claimed that the city had created a world record.

Mr. Nabin made the remarks in Indore on his first visit to Madhya Pradesh since taking over as BJP president, two days before Mr. Gandhi’s “Chhatron ki Goonj” (students’ echo) campaign in the city. Mr. Nabin also launched the ‘Swamitva Adhikar Abhilekh Nispadan Evam Panjiyan Yojana 2026’ (Implementation and Registration of Title Registration Scheme). Under this scheme, the state government is promoting free land registry in rural areas for a period of one month.

The saffron party marks Mr Modi’s 76th birthday as ‘Seva Sankalp Divas’ (service resolution day) and has launched a month-long campaign to celebrate his 25 years in public life, with BJP governments at the Center and states holding various events.

“Many of our opposition colleagues are asking why we call this day ‘seva divas’ (service day). My friends in the opposition, you did politics only when we were working to unite and promote the progress of society,” Mr Nabin said. Opposition leaders “can’t understand the point of service”, he said.

“When 80 million families in the country get free rations, when in a calamity like corona (coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic), the one who united the entire country and gave over 200 million doses of vaccine for free, the one who provided toilets to 12 million families, connected the poor with banking services to live (and we gave them the opportunity to live with M Modi’s birthday as seva divas, then Rahul baba (referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi), shall we celebrate your birthday as seva divas?” said Mr. Nabin.

Mr. Nabin also participated in the mockery of Mr. Gandhi’s upcoming event. “People are talking about youth today. Did you think of giving loans to 57 million youth during your time? Your forefathers only gave this country a divisive mindset. India was forced to divide and today when the country is ready to move forward united, you are restless,” said Mr Nabin.

Earlier in the day, Mr Gandhi took to social media platform X and attacked Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav while calling the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh the “most corrupt and incompetent” regime in the country.

Mr Gandhi raised the issue of the deaths of tribal children in Balaghat district and criticized the Madhya Pradesh government for organizing an event held on the banks of the Shipra river in Ujjain to light more than 25 lakh earthen lamps on Mr Modi’s birthday.

“More than 30 tribal children died in Balaghat due to diseases, malnutrition and lack of basic health facilities. The extent of callousness is such that innocent children were dying, but the response remained slow and the government remained asleep. Mr. Chief Minister, if you have found time after lighting the lamps and celebrating the ground reality, Mr. Gandhi, look at the ground reality.” Children were dying because of a “lack of disease control, nutrition, clean water and a crumbling health system,” he added.

“Counterfeit drugs and poisonous illegal liquor are devastating hundreds of families. I am heading to Indore and am constantly gathering feedback from students, youth and common people from across the state. The horrific incidents coming to light reveal that Madhya Pradesh’s education system is the most ruined in the country today. Students, children, poor, backward, backward, tribal classes, no tribes are happy,” the Congress chief said.

“The Government of Madhya Pradesh today is the most corrupt and incompetent Government in India – that is true,” Mr Gandhi asserted. Meanwhile, Mr Nabin also criticized the opposition for criticizing the vegetarian menu served at the recently held BRICS summit in New Delhi.

“Recently, the big BRICS Summit was held. The eyes of the whole world were fixed on Delhi. The powerful countries of the world are ready to go step by step with India. But our opposition saw only a menu in it. They were stuck on food recipes. They could not see that the most powerful countries of the world came together to plant trees and give a message to the whole world of the opposition president.” he said.

Published – 17 Sep 2026 22:29 IST