BJP shares 34-year-old Lal Chowk photo of Modi on his birthday

Today, September 17, is the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and greetings are pouring in from across the country. Along with "Seva Sankalp", several other programmes have been organised to mark his birthday. On the occasion, the BJP wished PM Modi on his birthday and shared a famous 34-year-old photo of Srinagar's Lal Chowk.

The BJP wrote, "This is the same famous photo we were talking about. Thirty-four years ago, a young Narendra Modi stood in the middle of the Valley, at a time when even reaching Lal Chowk meant facing major security risks."

The photo is from January 26, 1992. The BJP further wrote that at the time, under the leadership of then BJP president Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, the Ekta Yatra carrying a message of national unity was taken out from Kanyakumari to Srinagar. The yatra concluded on January 26, 1992, with the hoisting of the tricolour at Lal Chowk. Modi, then a young organiser for the BJP, played a key role in organising the yatra and was present alongside Dr. Joshi at that historic moment.

The tricolour was hoisted at Lal Chowk amid curfew, heavy security and threats from terrorists. According to the BJP, it was a moment of resolve and courage lived by a young organiser, one that has been permanently etched into India's political history. The BJP said that even 34 years later, the photo is a reminder of the pledge of national unity with which that journey began, and that the journey from a young organiser to a national leader continues to this day.

On the occasion, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also wished PM Modi on his birthday. He wrote, "In his 25 years of public life, Narendra Modi has made service his goal, good governance his resolve, and nation-building his greatest purpose, awakening a new outlook of change in the life of every person. Today, on the auspicious occasion of his 76th birthday, the 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' will be launched from Varanasi, the sacred city of Baba Vishwanath."