Patna, Sep 16 (IANS) RJD National Working President and Bihar Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav has criticised the BJP’s plan to observe Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday with an ‘Aashirwad Ka Diya’ campaign, citing the ongoing flood crisis in the state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday falls on September 17, which the BJP will also be observing as part of its month-long ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’.
BJP National President Nitin Nabin has appealed to people to light a diya at their homes between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. on September 17 and pray for PM Modi’s long life and good health.
The campaign is also being organised to mark PM Modi’s 25 years in public life.
Reacting to the initiative, Tejashwi Yadav said people in Bihar were struggling with the impact of floods, unemployment and inflation while the ruling party was preparing to celebrate the Prime Minister’s birthday.
He questioned the decision to organise the ‘Aashirwad Ka Diya’ campaign when a large number of people in Bihar have been affected by floods.
Yadav alleged that the government had little to offer flood victims but was prepared to spend Rs 100 crore on the birthday celebrations.
He also questioned the situation in the country and referred to the promises of ‘Achhe Din’, alleging that people were facing difficulties related to floods, inflation, unemployment, education and healthcare.
In a post on X, Yadav alleged that the Bihar government was organising a state-sponsored ‘Aashirwad Ka Diya’ programme for the Prime Minister’s birthday while the state was facing a severe flood situation.
He claimed that instead of prioritising assistance for flood-affected people, the government was spending money on lamps, wicks and oil for the campaign.
Yadav pointed to the large number of people affected by the floods and accused the BJP-led government of failing to provide adequate relief to them.
His remarks came amid the BJP’s nationwide ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’, which will begin on September 17 and includes blood donation drives, public outreach programmes and the ‘Aashirwad Ka Diya’ initiative.
In Bihar, the party has also announced plans to take the campaign to beneficiaries of government welfare schemes.
–IANS
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