PM Modi heading to Varanasi on 68th birthday
New Delhi, Sep 17 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day visit to Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency, on Monday to celebrate his 68th birthday.
Upon reaching Varanasi on Monday afternoon, Modi will directly head to Narur village where he is expected to interact with the children of a primary school and attend the screening of a movie based on his life, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement here.
"Prime Minister Modi will arrive in the city from where he will head directly for Narur village... He will interact with children of a primary school who are being aided by the non-profit organisation, 'Room to Read'," the statement said.
"Later, at the Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) campus, the Prime Minister will interact with students of Kashi Vidyapeeth, and children assisted by them," it added.
Meanwhile on Twitter, the hashtag #HappyBDayPMModi was trending.
In a tweet, President Ram Nath Kovind wished Modi a "long life and many years of dedicated service to the people of the country".
"Birthday greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who work towards nation-building with full dedication. God give him a long life and he continues to serve the country," Kovind wrote in another tweet.
Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu also greeted Modi saying: "India is making rapid strides under his visionary leadership and taking its rightful place in the comity of nations. May he be blessed with a long and healthy life."
Modi's colleagues in the Union Cabinet also took to Twitter to wish him on his birthday.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said: "Warm birthday compliments to the dynamic & illustrious Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi ji. I wish him good health and a long life. May he continue to render for many more years his exceptional services to the nation and guide the country to its glory."
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman called Modi a man with a vision for "New India".
"Birthday greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. My prayers for your long and healthy life. An ancient civilization, India, being led into this century with a vision for a #NewIndia that is #SwachhBharat in every sense. Honoured to serve with your guidance and under your leadership," she said.
Minister of Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad wished Modi to "continue guiding our country on the path of prosperity".
The Opposition Congress also extended their best wishes to Modi with party President Rahul Gandhi saying: "Happy Birthday to our PM, Narendra Modi ji! Wishing him good health and happiness always."
Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal said: "A very happy birthday to Prime Minister. I wish him long and healthy life."
On Tuesday, Modi will lay the foundation stone for various development projects, cumulatively worth more than Rs 500 crore at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) amphitheatre, the PMO office said.
"Among the projects to be inaugurated are Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) for Puraani Kashi; and an Atal Incubation Centre at BHU. Among the projects for which the Foundation Stone will be laid, is the Regional Ophthalmology Centre at BHU."
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EAM Jaishankar meets Jamaican PM, gifts over 10 BHISHM Cubes
Kingston (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and discussed ways to further deepen "political, economic and people-to-people cooperation."
Jaishankar also conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Holness.
"Pleased to call on Prime Minister @AndrewHolnessJM in Kingston. Conveyed the greetings of PM @narendramodi," Jaishankar posted on X.
"Discussed deepening our political, economic and people-to-people cooperation. Value his commitment towards further strengthening India-Jamaica relations," the post further read.
Also, the external affairs minister handed over 10 BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) Cubes as a gift to Jamaica.
"Formally handed over 10 BHISHM Cubes as a gift from India to Jamaica, in the presence of PM @AndrewHolnessJM, Health Minister @christufton and FM @kaminajsmith," Jaishankar posted on X.
"The BHISHM Cube mobile hospital system, designed for rapid deployment, will help Jamaica during disasters and emergencies. The gift of these cubes is a statement of friendship, a commitment to disaster preparedness, and an outcome of innovation," the post said.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday evening, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.
Earlier in the day, he interacted with the Indian diaspora and discussed India's ongoing transformation in infrastructure, human development and technology-driven governance and entrepreneurship with them.
He also highlighted the cricket bond between both countries as India gifted a scoreboard to Jamaica.
A scoreboard was dedicated at Sabina Park in Kingston. It is the home of the Jamaica cricket team and is the only Test cricket ground in the Caribbean island nation.
The minister expressed hope that the new scoreboard would witness many memorable innings, including those symbolising the enduring friendship between the two countries.
Cricket has long been a strong cultural bridge between India and Jamaica, which is part of the West Indies cricket team.
Jamaican players, including Chris Gayle, Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding, have played a major role in shaping the legacy of West Indies cricket in the international arena, contributing to its dominance in earlier decades and its continued global appeal.
