New Delhi, Sep 17: Opposition leaders on Thursday extended birthday greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 76th birthday and wished him good health and a long life.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi took to social media platform X and said, “Happy birthday to PM Narendra Modi ji. Wishing you good health and a long life.”

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said, “Best wishes to Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi Ji on his birthday. May he be blessed with good health and long life.”

Congress MP Manish Tewari also extended birthday greetings and said, “Wishing Narendra Modi a very happy 76 th Birthday. God Bless.”

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said, “Birthday wishes to the Prime Minister and best wishes for a healthy, active, and meaningful life.”

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati extended her greetings and said, “Heartfelt congratulations to the Hon. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji on his 76th birthday today, and best wishes for a healthy life.”

NCP(SP) chief Sharad Pawar said, “Heartfelt birthday wishes to the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi ji. Wishing you good health and a long life.”

Shiv Sena(UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said, “Wishing Hon. PM Shri Narendra Modi a very happy birthday. I wish him good health and happiness always.”

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay also extended his greetings on the occasaion and said, “I extend my heartfelt birthday wishes to the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Thiru. Narendra Modi avargal, who leads with dedication towards building a strong India. I wholeheartedly wish you a long life filled with good health.”

DMK chief and former Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin also wished the Prime Minister and said, “Warm birthday greetings to Hon’ble Prime Minister Thiru. Narendra Modi. Wishing him good health, happiness and a long life.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned 76 on Thursday. Led by PM Modi, the BJP has been in power at the Centre since 2014.

PM Modi is the country’s longest-serving non-Congress Prime Minister. He started his political career as a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and has been the face of the BJP’s victories in three consecutive general elections.

The BJP on Thursday began its special month-long campaign, titled ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’, to mark the completion of 25 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public life and service.

While September 17 marks PM Modi’s birthday, October will mark the completion of 25 years of his public service.

Earlier, on September 9, BJP National President Nitin Nabin, while addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, announced that PM Modi would complete 25 years of public service on October 7. To mark the occasion, the BJP will conduct the special month-long campaign, ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’.

Mumbai, Sep 17: Shiv Sena (UBT) on Thursday criticised the Centre over the all-vegetarian menu served to foreign delegates at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, alleging that it amounted to imposing dietary preferences on international guests.

In an editorial published in its mouthpiece, Saamana, the party said food choices are a matter of personal freedom and should not be dictated by governments or political organisations. The editorial took exception to the gala dinner hosted at Bharat Mandapam on September 12, where leaders of the expanded 11-member BRICS grouping were served an exclusively vegetarian menu.

Calling the move an imposition of dietary preferences on world leaders, the Thackeray camp in the party mouthpiece Saamana editorial argued that dietary choices—whether vegetarian or non-vegetarian—are a matter of personal freedom and that neither the government nor political parties should dictate them. The menu featured items such as Khandvi, Mushroom Kebabs, Paneer Lababdar, Millet Pulao, Gujarati-style Dhokli Bele Saru (tomato-dal curry), Jalebi, and Phirni.

The editorial labelled the spread as forcing guests to consume grass and wild greens. “Eighty per cent of the world’s population, including most of the visiting delegates, eats non-vegetarian food. What did the Modi government achieve by imposing vegetarianism on them? It made India a laughing stock on the global stage,” remarked the editorial.

The editorial contrasted the BRICS gala dinner with lavish Indian weddings, citing the recent wedding of Supriya Sule’s daughter Revati and high-profile industrialist weddings as having superior and more appetising cuisine.

It added that iconic Delhi culinary staples like Karim’s non-vegetarian dishes, Tandoori Chicken, Biryani, Butter Chicken, Goan Fish Curry, Kolhapuri Pandhra-Tambda Rassa, and Malvani Fish would have left international guests truly satisfied.

Rejecting claims that the menu reflected the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi’s birthplace, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena pointed out that Gandhi never imposed his personal vegetarian choices on others.

The editorial cited historical examples to support its stance. “When Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and his family visited Sevagram Ashram in Wardha, a separate kitchen outside the main premises was set up specifically to prepare non-vegetarian meals for them. During a state visit to Russia, former PM Morarji Desai — a strict teetotaler — respected local diplomatic traditions by allowing vodka to be poured into his glass for toasts, raising it without drinking,” it said.

The editorial further noted that during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Mahabalipuram, the menu included an array of non-vegetarian delicacies, with specialized chefs brought in from across the country.

The editorial alleged a broader campaign by the ruling government and its aligned organisations to alter India’s diverse food culture. It referenced the handover of mid-day meal contracts in schools to organisations like ISKCON, claiming that eggs have been removed from children’s diets.

It also touched upon domestic issues in cities like Mumbai, where non-vegetarians face discrimination in housing, terming such practices a crime.

Concluding with a sharp political jab, the editorial stated, “Individual dietary preference is a personal choice. While the government indulges in the ‘non-vegetarianism of corruption,’ it denies people their fish and chicken. PM Modi and his followers may prefer Khichdi, while others prefer Biryani. No party or sect has the right to destroy our rich food culture.”

New Delhi, Sep 16: Delhi Police on Wednesday have claimed to have solved a murder case within 16 hours with the arrest of a 24-year-old man for allegedly killing his wife following an altercation arising out of strained marital relations and frequent quarrels.

According to police, the case was registered at Anand Parbat police station under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

On September 14, police received information regarding a suspected murder at Punjabi Basti in Baljeet Nagar, Anand Parbat. The police reached the spot, where a 32-year-old woman was found dead inside a room.

During the preliminary inquiry, police learned that the deceased was living in the room with her husband, two minor daughters and her mother.

The deceased’s elder daughter, aged around 10, told police that she woke up at around 3:45-4 a.m. and saw her father near her mother, checking her breathing. She said her father then left the house. After some time, she noticed that her mother was not responding.

On examining the body, police found no apparent external injuries, except nail-like marks on the left side of the neck. The Crime Team and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team inspected the crime scene and documented it through photographs.

The woman was shifted to Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC) Hospital, where she was declared brought dead. Her body was preserved for postmortem examination.

Police said the circumstances of the incident and the statement of the minor daughter raised suspicion about the involvement of the deceased’s husband. Accordingly, FIR No. 517/2026 was registered on September 15 and an investigation was launched.

The postmortem examination was conducted at the LHMC mortuary, following which the body was handed over to the family members.

Considering the gravity of the offence and the possibility of the accused escaping, the police team launched a search operation.

Through technical investigation, corroboration of available information and local intelligence, the team traced and apprehended the accused, identified as Chandrapal Bhati, a resident of Wair in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, within 16 hours of the incident.

During interrogation, the accused allegedly disclosed his involvement in the crime. Police said he stated that he and his wife frequently quarrelled and that their marital relationship had remained strained.

The accused allegedly further disclosed that he strangled his wife to death following an altercation arising from their strained marital relations and frequent quarrels.

Police said no previous involvement of the accused has come to notice so far.