Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday turned 75, till recently being seen as the unwritten retirement age of BJP leaders, amid an avalanche of greetings from film stars, sportspersons, industrialists and other bigwigs.
As celebrity after celebrity took to social media to shower glowing praise on Modi and the hashtag “MYMODISTORY” took over X, many spotted in the blitzkrieg the unmistakable imprint of the BJP’s well-oiled and humongous social media machinery.
The fanboy moment of the day was unanimous — industrialist Mukesh Ambani hailed Modi as “Avatar Purush”, which had echoes of the Prime Minister’s claim before last year’s Lok Sabha elections that he was a “godsend” and not “biologically born”.
“God Almighty himself has sent Modiji as an Avatar Purush to lead our motherland to become the greatest nation on earth,” Ambani said in a video message. “It is my good fortune that I have known him closely for more than three decades. I have never seen a leader who worked so tirelessly for a better future for India and Indians.”
Gautam Adani, the other industrialist widely perceived as being close to Modi, remained reticent on social media on the Prime Minister’s birthday.
Such was the laudatory outpouring from Bollywood and other celeb circles that the greetings by world leaders and BJP politicians appeared to have been eclipsed.
Shah Rukh Khan, who has largely been away from the spotlight recently except for the promotions for his son’s debut web show, said in a video message shot in what appeared to be a farm: “Today, on the 75th birthday of the Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, I would like to wish him a very happy birthday. Your journey from a small city to the global stage is very inspiring. In this story, I can see your discipline, your hard work and your dedication towards your country.”
Aamir Khan was equally effusive: “Your contributions towards the development of India will always be remembered. On this joyous occasion, we pray for your long life and also that you continue to take the country on the path of progress.”
Salman Khan posted onsocial media: “Wishing our Hon Prime Minister Narendrabhai Modi a very happy birthday.”
Akshay Kumar, the actor closest to the regime and thanks to whom the nation knows how Modi likes to have his mangoes, said: “Heartiest congratulations on your 75th birthday, @narendramodi ji. My heartfelt prayer is that you have a long life and good health. May you continue to take India to newer heights.”
Chess player Vishwanathan Anand put out a long #MYMODISTORY message on X gushing about Modi’s hospitality, but inadvertently lent credence to the allegations of a well-coordinated publicity overdrive.
A popular satirical channel on X — @PunsterX — soon shared sreenshots that purported to show an earlier post by Anand that was prefixed with “Vishwanathan Anand ji”, a suggestion that he may have been sent tailored content. @PunsterX said this had “exposed Modi’s birthday PR campaign”, adding that Anand had deleted the message and reposted his greetings. “Checkmate,” @Punster quipped.
Former cricketer Kris Srikkanth said in a video post: “Met Modi ji in 2011 WC. I broke protocol, he broke the ice with a hug. We have met over the years on different occasions and I have come to admire the person he is. At 75, still humble, building the nation and serving tirelessly for us.”
Badminton star P.V. Sindhu said “my interactions with our Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji shine brighter than medals”.
On the political front, home minister Amit Shah marked Modi’s 75th birthday by launching development projects for Delhi, as BJP leaders bombarded social media with their “MYMODISTORY” posts.
Shah said Modi was not just a leader but a “symbol of New India’s rise”, counting among the Prime Minister’s achievements the Ram temple, scrapping of Article 370 and the military strikes on Pakistan.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wished Modi “happy birthday and good health” on X but his party went all out to counter the “MYMODISTORY” campaign. The official X handle of the Congress posted AI-generated videos to slam Modi, picking on his alleged close ties with Adani.
The Congress marked Modi’s birthday as “Rashtriya Berozgar Diwas”, with the party’s youth wing holding a protest with slogans of “Naukri Chor, Gaddi Chhod!”.
Trinamool’s Abhishek Banerjee wished Modi on social media, Mamata Banerjee hadn’t publicly till late on Wednesday.