Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday paid tribute to Bharatiya Jana Sangh leader Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya on his birth anniversary, emphasising the importance of sustained effort, social responsibility and gradual progress towards larger national goals. His remarks came amid growing political debate over the functioning of the Election Commission, though he did not directly mention Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Marking Upadhyaya’s birth anniversary, Modi recalled his philosophy of Antyodaya, which places the upliftment of people at the margins of society at the centre of nation-building. The Prime Minister said Upadhyaya’s ideas continue to inspire public welfare and urged people to reaffirm their commitment to social and national responsibilities.
Modi also interacted through video conferencing with participants of the Seva Sankalp Yatra, a motorcycle campaign travelling between Vadnagar and Varanasi. Addressing the participants, he highlighted the value of service and learning from communities across the country. He also cautioned the riders to use helmets rather than treating traditional headgear as a substitute for road safety equipment.
The Prime Minister’s message included an emphasis on continuous effort. His remarks echoed the broader theme that major objectives can be pursued through consistent, smaller steps rather than relying on a single intervention.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission remains under scrutiny following reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised objections on several issues concerning electoral-roll management, including changes to voter-registration processes and centralised access to electoral databases.
The Commission has said that decisions taken over the past year were unanimous and described differences during institutional deliberations as part of the decision-making process.
