BJP’s development thrust to observing Social Justice Day in Tamil Nadu: Parties and political messaging on a busy Sunday

On Sunday, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned 73, the BJP’s focus was on promoting its development and welfare agenda, which is at the core of its political formulation along with Hindutva.

Modi inaugurated the first phase of the India International Convention Centre, or Yashobhoomi, in Dwarka, New Delhi. He also rode the Delhi Airport Metro Express Line, inaugurating its extension to the new Dwarka Sector 25 station, to the convention centre.

Built across a total project area of over 8.9 lakh square metres and a total built-up area of more than 1.8 lakh square metres, the convention centre boasts of being one of the world’s largest MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) facilities. The centre is being developed for Rs 5,400 crore.

“Yashobhoomi in Dwarka stands as a testament to modern architectural brilliance and sustainable design. It has state-of-the-art facilities and eco-friendly features. As it also seamlessly connects with the Delhi Metro Airport Express, it will ensure leading global conferences and gatherings can easily take place in Delhi,” the Prime Minister said in a post on X.

Yashobhoomi is the second such convention centre after the Bharat Mandapam, which hosted world leaders at the recently concluded G20 Summit.

The government also launched its Ayushman Bhav campaign after the programme was inaugurated by President Droupadi Murmu last Wednesday. The programme aims to extend healthcare coverage to rural regions with health melas and medical camps scheduled to be held once a week at all health and wellness centres and community health centres in India.

The BJP also launched its Sewa Pakhwada (fortnight of service) programme to conduct a range of welfare activities across the country till Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti on October 2. The party will organise events to share the government’s achievements and hold blood donation camps, cleanliness drives, and health camps, among other initiatives.

BJP national president J P Nadda also inaugurated an exhibition at BJP national headquarters in Delhi to mark the PM’s birthday as “Sewa Diwas”.

In Gujarat’s Rajkot, a two-day event was organised, with more than 500 attendees, to promote yoga. In Pune, the BJP showcased a 10-by-18-foot portrait of Modi using millet and other grains to mark his birthday. In Tripura, the BJP organised a “Namo Vikas Utsav” to celebrate the PM’s birthday with a yoga session and other events.

On social media platform X, several leaders wished the PM, including President Murmu, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge. Last year, the PM celebrated his birthday by releasing cheetahs from Namibia in the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

Vishwakarma Jayanti

Modi also launched the Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman Yojana on the occasion of the Vishwakarma Jayanti in New Delhi. The government has allocated Rs 13,000 crore to the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to provide financial aid to artisans, craftsmen, small business owners and others engaged in traditional crafts and skills.

“Our Vishwakarma friends will also benefit from the Yashobhoomi convention centre… This convention centre will play a big role in making Indian crafts global… Need of the hour is to identify Vishwakarmas and support them in every way,” said the PM.

The programme was first announced on Independence Day by Modi as an attempt to reach out to economically backwards communities, particularly OBCs.

“On this Vishwakarma Jayanti, we will give about Rs 13,000-15,000 crore to the people who live with traditional skills, who work with tools and with their own hands, mostly from the OBC community. Be it our carpenters, our goldsmiths, our masons, our laundry workers, our barber brothers and sisters,” he had said in his Independence Day speech last month.

Vishwakarma, in Hindu mythology, is seen as the architect of the gods and was the divine carpenter and master craftsman who fashioned the weapons of the gods and built their cities and chariots. He is considered the patron deity of workers, artisans, and artists.

Liberation versus Integration Day

In Telangana, the BRS government observed the National Integration Day to mark the merger of the Nizam-ruled Hyderabad princely state with India in 1948 while the BJP held competing events to frame the historic moment as Telangana Liberation Day.

The BJP had clashed with the BRS and the Congress over the nomenclature and symbolism of September 17. At the BJP’s Hyderabad event, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, “No government in the past 75 years celebrated the historic Hyderabad Liberation Day … because of the appeasement politics … It is unfortunate that even after the formation of Telangana, parties hesitate to celebrate ‘Liberation Day’ due to vote bank politics.”

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, addressing the state’s official event, spoke about his government development initiatives and called the state a “role model” for others. “It is unfortunate that even after 76 years of Independence, economic backwardness, poverty, unemployment and social discrimination are still plaguing our country. Besides eradicating these ills, the Telangana government realises the needs and aspirations of the people because of which rapid development is taking place in the state,” Rao said.

Elsewhere, BJP’s Union ministers G Kishan Reddy and Prakash Javadekar, who is also the party’s in-charge for the upcoming polls, flagged off a bike rally from Secunderabad for the Liberation Day celebrations. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), led by Asaduddin Owaisi and allied with the BRS, also held a bike rally and public meeting to mark the Integration Day.

Meanwhile, the Congress ended its working committee meetings in Hyderabad with a rally in the Rangareddy district, where party leader Sonia Gandhi announced six poll guarantees, including a scheme to grant financial aid to farmers and health insurance for all up to Rs 10 lakh. This sets the tone for the Assembly elections scheduled to be held later this year.

In neighbouring Maharashtra, September 17 is celebrated, without much difference between parties, as Marathwada Mukti Sangram Day or Marathwada Liberation Day. September 15 to 17 saw cultural programmes in the Marathwada region’s eight districts, including processions and flag-hoisting ceremonies. On September 16, a special Cabinet meeting was held in Aurangabad with Shah in attendance.

Periyar’s birth anniversary

In Tamil Nadu, Periyar’s birth anniversary was celebrated as “Social Justice Day”. Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy, known to his followers as Periyar, was the father of the Dravidian Movement. He founded the Dravidar Kazhagam, which was the precursor to the state’s two major parties — the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), currently in the Opposition. The DMK is currently at loggerheads with the BJP over its minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s comments calling for the “eradication” of Sanatan Dharma.

Chief Minister M K Stalin paid tributes to Periyar in Vellore. In a post of X, he said: “His life is a political philosophy! He was a great reformer who emphasised politics based on humanity and self-respect – transcending language, country, and religion.”

Udhayanidhi also paid tribute to Periyar. On X, he said: “On the occasion of the 145th birth anniversary of Periyar, we paid homage to Periyar’s statue located in the Salem Fort. Also, on the occasion of Periyar’s birthday, we took the Social Justice Day Pledge. Let us work tirelessly in the way of Periyar to eradicate superstitions and save mankind.”

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami praised Periyar’s “struggle against superstitions” and other social evils.