Fireworks, debates, seva and cake cutting: Gujarat celebrates PM Narendra Modi’s 69th birthday

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers, common citizens and even district administrations chose to celebrate Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 69th birthday in unique ways in Gujarat. 

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation began with several services, including a water ride on the Sabarmati; while the district administration in other parts of the state picked up one or two of his pet programmes, including discouraging the use of single-use plastic as well as the Swachhta Mission. 

Meanwhile, the citizens also carried out cake cutting ceremonies including a 7000 kg cake that was cut in Surat.

In Surat,  BJP MLA Harsh Sanghavi celebrated the day by cutting cakes with divyang children and cleanliness workers. “Modi emphasises on serving people. The city has turned the celebration akin to that of Diwali. Fireworks, music and dance performances have been organised as part of the event,” Sanghavi told media person.

The BJP in the state has been celebrating their leader’s birthday as ‘Seva Saptah’ which began from September 14. The party has allocated several social initiatives to its workers and leaders during the week-long period. 

Earlier, the party in the state had also thrown open a photo exhibition on the life of the Prime Minister. The exhibition traced his journey from his childhood to him becoming the leader of the country.

The Prime Minister, who is on a two-day visit to his home state, flew from Gandhinagar to Kevadia on Tuesday. He visited the Khalvani eco-tourism site and the Jungle Safari Tourist Park in Kevadia, a few of the major tourist attraction near the Statue of Unity.

Children celebrate the birthday of PM Narendra Modi in Surat (ANI)

Amid PM’s birthday celebration, the state schools held debates on Modi’s decision to revoke the special rights of Muslim majority Kashmir while others chose to serve by cleaning their premises.

In Ahmedabad, the grant-in-aid and self-financed secondary and higher secondary schools of government were asked to ensure programmes including debates and lectures around the abrogation of Article 370 as part of Modi’s birthday celebration.

A bakery called Breadline in Surat celebrated PM’s birthday by making 7000 kg cake that was 700 ft long. The cake was kept in a U shaped form to accommodate its length at the Sarsana convention centre. The bakery chose to bring together common citizens to cut the cake and distribute it among those who came to the event. 

Nitin Patel, the owner of the bakery, said that the cake with a theme of the corruption-free country is a homage to the son of India, who is working for the benefit of the nation.  The cake ended up using 1200 kg of flour, 1300  kg of sugar, 30 kg of caramel, 235 kg of whey protein and 1200 kg of cocoa powder among others.