BJP leader and former Karnataka minister C.T. Ravi praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a Namotsava programme organized by the Bharatiya Janata Party in Mudigere in Chikkamagaluru district to celebrate Modi’s birthday.
Ravi said that the programme should not be seen as an exercise in personality cult, but as a celebration of the Prime Minister’s qualities and public life. He argued that, in his opinion, the BJP does not follow a tradition of glorifying people, he said.
Ravi described Modi as a leader who, in his words, had come to create history and said that he believed Modi had been sent by God for that purpose.
“People with character come to create history,” Ravi said when he was talking about Modi’s public life. He also said the Prime Minister should have a long and healthy life.
Ravi Compares Modi With Earlier Prime Ministers
Ravi also referred to several former prime ministers, including Jawaharlal Nehru, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Indira Gandhi in his speech.
He said many people had served as prime minister before Modi and none of them could be described as lacking popularity or influence. Ravi put Modi’s tenure in the larger context of Indian prime ministerial leadership by using leaders from different periods of India’s political history.
Ravi also recalled an episode from Vajpayee's tenure when a bus service was launched between India and Lahore. At the time, he said, he was thinking about Vajpayee's approach— friendship and preparing for conflict.
He then compared that period with what he described as the approach under Modi.
Power Is Not for Arrogance
Ravi also talked about Modi's approach to public office and recalled an incident where Modi bowed before the steps of Parliament and described the Parliament as a temple of democracy.
Ravi said the gesture showed us that political power should not be a source of arrogance.
His comments came as BJP workers and supporters across the country celebrated Modi's birthday as part of various events. In the last week of September, the BJP organised activities like service work and lamp lighting under the ‘Ashirwad Ka Diya’ initiative. A month-long Seva Sankalp Abhiyan has been launched in connection with Modi's birthday and his years in public life.
Ravi speaks about National Security
Ravi also pointed out India’s security environment and said there was a time when terrorists could openly threaten the country. He claimed that the situation had changed under Modi’s leadership.
He added that India’s national identity was being expressed beyond the country’s borders, with slogans like “Bharat Mata Ki Jai.”
These comments were part of Ravi's overall praise of Modi's leadership during the Mudigere programme. They represent the BJP leader's political assessment and were delivered in the context of celebrations marking the Prime Minister's birthday.
Birthday Celebrations Across India
Modi’s birthday is celebrated by BJP workers and supporters across several parts of the country. The party is linking this year’s celebrations to public service campaigns like cleanliness drives, tree plantation, blood donation and other community activities.
In Karnataka and other states, party workers have organised local programmes to celebrate the event.
Ravi urged people to celebrate on the Prime Minister’s birthday by praying for his health and longevity in his Mudigere speech. He asked homes to light lamps as a symbolic gesture wishing Modi a long life.
The Mudigere event was therefore characterized by political speeches, birthday celebrations and expressions of support for the Prime Minister from BJP workers and leaders.
Ravi spoke of Modi's public life, leadership style and national-security record, and also his tenure alongside that of other prime ministers Nehru, Vajpayee and Indira Gandhi.
