Bhopal, Oct 7 — Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Wednesday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on completing 25 years at the helm of a government, describing the milestone as a matter of good fortune for the people of the state.
Yadav participated virtually in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Viksit Bharat Sankalp Sabha' from Ujjain as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) organised programmes across Madhya Pradesh to mark his 25 years of public service and highlight his governance and welfare initiatives.
"Heartiest congratulations to all the people of the state from my side. It is our good fortune that the Prime Minister has completed 25 years of public service," Yadav said in a statement.
The programmes were organised under the BJP's 'Seva Jyoti Sankalp' initiative, with party workers and citizens gathering at different locations to listen to PM Modi's address and participate in events marking his long tenure in government.
In Indore, thousands of BJP workers and citizens gathered at the IDA Ground in Vijay Nagar for the programme.
Workers from different Assembly constituencies reached the venue carrying the Tricolour and were led by their respective MLAs.
After PM Modi's address, Madhya Pradesh Minister and senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya administered a pledge for a 'Viksit Bharat' to elected representatives and party workers present at the programme.
A ceremonial lamp was then lit, following which Vijayvargiya carried a torch to a newly constructed torch monument near the Vijay Nagar police station and lit it.
BJP workers raised slogans in support of PM Modi before leaving for their respective Assembly constituencies carrying symbolic torches.
The BJP's programmes across the state sought to highlight PM Modi's journey in government, which began with his becoming Gujarat Chief Minister in 2001 and continued with his tenure as Prime Minister from 2014.
The celebrations also sought to reinforce the party's emphasis on public service, welfare and its vision of a developed India.
The milestone, however, also triggered a political response from the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, with Leader of the Opposition Umang Singhar questioning the state government's focus while the BJP was celebrating PM Modi's 25 years in public service.
Singhar, referring to the BJP's 'Seva Jyoti Kalash Yatra', said party workers visiting villages should also see the condition of roads, schools and hospitals, unemployment among youth, farmers' difficulties in obtaining fertilisers, and nutritional problems faced by tribal children.
He urged Chief Minister Mohan Yadav to address issues affecting people in the state rather than merely seeking praise for the Prime Minister, and said the Chief Minister was accountable to the people of Madhya Pradesh.