NEW DELHI: Prime Minister
Narendra Modi
extended his greetings to all his fellow countrymen on Sunday.
PM Modi
conveyed his wishes to the people of the nation, addressing them as his “
parivarjan
” (extended family) in a
social media
post.
In a post written in Hindi on X, PM Modi said, “Wishing all my family members a plethora of heartfelt Holi greetings. May this festival adorned with colors of affection and goodwill bring new energy and enthusiasm into your lives.”
The Prime Minister’s message resonates with the spirit of unity and shared celebrations that accompany the festival of Holi, known as the festival of colors, which binds communities together in joy and harmony across the nation.
People observe ‘Holika Dahan’, which symbolises the burning of evil, a day before Holy which is celebrated with colour and festivity across the country, with many parts of the country marking the day with their unique practices.
However, PM Modi’s wishes also come in the wake of recent remarks made by
Rashtriya Janata Dal
(RJD) leader Lalu Prasad, in which Lalu had said that PM Modi had no family and he was not a true Hindu.
This prompted a response from the Prime Minister. During a rally in
Telangana
earlier this month, PM Modi asserted, “Desh ke koti koti log mujhe apna maante hain. Apne parivar ke sadasya ki tarah mujhe pyar karte hain. Aur isliye main kehta hoon ki 140 crore deshwasi – yahi mera parivar hai. (Translation: People of the nation consider me as their own. They love me like a member of their family. And that is why I say that the 140 crore people of this country are my family.)”
Following this statement, ‘
Modi Ka Parivar
‘ trended on X, reminiscent of a similar social media trend preceding the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when Union ministers prefixed ‘Chowkidar’ to their Twitter profiles.