Flagging off the Vadnagar-Varanasi bike rally on PM Modi’s 76th birthday, Amit Shah said Modi’s 25 years in public life could be summed up in two words — “Bharat Pratham” — and listed his record from Gujarat governance to welfare, infrastructure, national security and space
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday used Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 76th birthday and the launch of a bike rally from Vadnagar to Varanasi to present what he described as a 25-year record of public service — from Modi’s years as Gujarat chief minister to his tenure as Prime Minister.
Speaking in Vadnagar, Modi’s birthplace, Shah said he had seen the Prime Minister’s work from close quarters and described his political journey as one marked by continuous service to the country.
“If I have to put Modi’s life in two words, I would say ‘Bharat Pratham’,” Shah said, in his remarks at the event.
Shah was in Vadnagar as part of the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, under which a bike rally was flagged off towards Varanasi. The 600 bikers — 300 from Vadnagar and 300 from Varanasi — are travelling through several states to take the message of Modi’s 25 years in public life to people. The campaign is linked to Modi completing 25 years in constitutional office since he became Gujarat chief minister on October 7, 2001.
‘I have seen Modi from close quarters’
Shah said his long association with Modi had allowed him to observe the Prime Minister’s working style closely.
He said Modi had worked continuously for 25 years without taking a day off and had often worked for 16 to 18 hours a day. Shah also said no other politician in independent India had served continuously as both a state and national leader for 25 years.
Shah said Modi’s life and work should be shared with the younger generation so young Indians could draw inspiration from his journey.
The purpose of the programme, he said, was therefore not limited to celebrating Modi’s birthday but also to present his life as an example for future generations and connect them with the goal of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
From a poor childhood to Gujarat’s chief minister
Shah recalled Modi’s childhood in Vadnagar and his rise from a modest background.
He said Modi was born into poverty but did not carry a sense of grievance or bitterness because of his circumstances. Instead, Shah described him as someone who dedicated his life to the country.
The Home Minister then turned to Modi’s years as Gujarat chief minister, listing a series of initiatives and achievements he associated with the “Gujarat model”.
These included the Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana for tribal development, the Sagar Khedu Kalyan Yojana for coastal communities, industrial development, agricultural growth, education, 24-hour electricity and the Vibrant Gujarat investment summit.
Shah said the emphasis during Modi’s Gujarat tenure was on taking development to every section of society, including tribal and rural communities.
He particularly recalled the expansion of electricity supply to villages. According to Shah, reliable 24-hour power changed villages’ economic prospects, created new opportunities, and reduced pressure on people to move to cities in search of work.
He also cited Gujarat’s agricultural growth, saying the state recorded an agricultural growth rate of around 8% during the period.
‘From policy paralysis to performance’
Shah said Gujarat’s experience formed the basis on which voters elected Modi as Prime Minister in 2014.
He described the 2014 election as the beginning of a new phase in Indian governance and said that after nearly three decades, India received a full-majority government under Modi.
According to Shah, the country had faced “policy paralysis” and widespread disappointment before 2014. He said the Modi government subsequently emphasized performance, outcomes and delivery.
Shah recalled Modi describing himself from the Red Fort as the country’s “Pradhan Sevak” and said this reflected the Prime Minister’s approach to public service.
He also argued that India had moved from the period popularly described as the “Fragile Five” to one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies.
Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, mobile and DBT
Shah’s account of the Modi years also centered on welfare delivery and digital infrastructure.
He highlighted the combination of Jan Dhan bank accounts, Aadhaar and mobile connectivity, which enabled the government to expand direct benefit transfers.
He also cited the implementation of GST, banking reforms, foreign direct investment and the Production Linked Incentive scheme as measures that, in his view, had strengthened the economy and created the foundation for India to become a global manufacturing hub.
Shah said the expansion of roads, railways, ports, airports and digital infrastructure had taken place at a pace that had surprised the world.
He specifically mentioned PM Gati Shakti as an example of integrated infrastructure planning.
He also referred to the expansion of India’s airport network and the growth of start-ups, saying Digital India had created new opportunities for young people.
‘25 crore people came out of poverty’
Shah also highlighted the government’s welfare record, saying around 25 crore people had been brought out of poverty during the Modi years.
The figure broadly corresponds to the government’s multidimensional poverty estimate. NITI Aayog has estimated that 24.82 crore people moved out of multidimensional poverty between 2013-14 and 2022-23.
Shah linked this reduction to a range of welfare measures, including housing, electricity, tap water, cooking gas and foodgrain support.
He referred to the provision of 5 kg of free foodgrains per person per month to around 80 crore beneficiaries.
The Home Minister said the cumulative impact of such schemes had helped take people from what he described as deep disappointment towards a more hopeful and self-confident India.
He connected this transformation with the government’s vision of a developed India by 2047.
Article 370, triple talaq and national security
Shah also presented Modi’s record through the prism of major political and security decisions.
He listed the abrogation of Article 370, the law criminalising instant triple talaq, the introduction of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, action against Left-Wing Extremism and peace agreements in the Northeast.
He also cited the 2016 surgical strikes, the 2019 Balakot air strike and Operation Sindoor as examples of the government’s response to security threats.
Shah said Jammu and Kashmir, the Northeast and areas affected by Naxalism were now moving towards development.
He also highlighted border connectivity, arguing that better roads and infrastructure in border areas had both development and security implications.
Tribal development and villages
Shah said development under Modi aimed to reach sections of society that had traditionally remained outside the mainstream of economic growth.
He cited Eklavya Model Residential Schools, PM-JANMAN and the Vibrant Villages Programme as examples.
He also referred to changes in Bastar and other tribal regions and said development had to be inclusive.
The central argument, Shah said, was that the benefits of development should reach every section of society.
Women’s representation
Shah also referred to the growing participation of women in areas ranging from the armed forces and police to science, start-ups, sports and drone technology.
He pointed to the constitutional provision for one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, arguing that the measure would increase women’s representation in India’s political institutions.
New Parliament and the Sengol
The Home Minister also cited the construction of the new Parliament building and the installation of the Sengol as significant developments during the Modi government.
He presented them as part of an effort to connect India’s modern democratic institutions with its civilisational history.
Chandrayaan, Aditya-L1 and India’s space ambitions
Shah’s list of achievements also extended beyond conventional governance.
He referred to Chandrayaan-3, the Shiv Shakti Point on the lunar surface and the Aditya-L1 solar mission as milestones that had strengthened India’s position in space technology.
He said such achievements had increased India’s influence and demonstrated the country’s growing technological capabilities.
Defence reforms and self-reliance
Shah also highlighted One Rank One Pension, the creation of the Chief of Defence Staff, improvements in defence preparedness and the growth of India’s defence production and exports.
He argued that these measures had strengthened India’s defence capabilities and contributed to the country’s move towards greater self-reliance in defence manufacturing.
‘Bharat Pratham’
For Shah, all these initiatives — from Gujarat’s development model and welfare schemes to infrastructure, security, space and defence — formed part of one larger narrative.
He said Modi had devoted his entire life to the welfare of the country and had treated the people of India as his family.
Shah said Modi had not worked for the benefit of his own family and described his public life as one dedicated to India.
The Home Minister also urged young Indians to study Modi’s life and work and draw lessons from his journey.
He concluded by wishing Modi a long and healthy life and praying for his continued strength to serve the country.
For Shah, the defining phrase for Modi’s 25 years in public life was simple: “Bharat Pratham.”
