New Delhi [India], September 17 (ANI): Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday wished Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 75th birthday and recalled meeting him during the BJP's Ekta Yatra from Kanniyakumari to Srinagar in the 1990s.

Sharing a video on X, Chouhan extended wishes and wrote, 'Heartfelt birthday wishes to the illustrious Prime Minister of the country, Narendra Modi Ji, who is the garland of the hearts of India's crores upon crores of people!'

'Today, I wish to share a memoir of my connection with Modi Ji during the Ekta Yatra. It was at this time that I met him for the first time and observed his personality closely. May he have a long life and remain engaged in the great yajna of national reconstruction; this is my wish,' the post read.

In the self-made video, he recalled the Yatra and said that PM Modi's name seemed appropriate to lead the challenging journey to hoist the tricolour at Srinagar's Lal Chowk.

'In 1992-93, when Bharatiya Janata Party's national President was Murli Manohar Joshi, and terrorism was at its peak in Kashmir. It was the Congress government. No one could think of hoisting the Tiranga at Srinagar's Lal Chowk. The party decided to unite the entire nation and challenge terrorism,' he said.

Shivraj Chouhan added, 'A yatra under the leadership of Murli Manohar Joshi was to be carried out from Kanniyakumari to Srinagar. The question was who would carry out such a challenging Yatra... The only name seemed correct at that time, and it was Narendra Damodardas Modi.'

Hailing PM Modi, he said that he had several ideas to unite the youth for the Yatra.

'He was made in charge of the Yatra. That is when I met him. I was made the coordinator of the Kesariya Brigade to unite the youth. That is when I met Modi ji. I saw how many ideas he had to unite the youth for the Yatra,' the Union Minister said.

Meanwhile, the BJP is carrying out a 15-day nationwide campaign, Seva Pakhwada, to mark PM Modi's 75th birthday.

The party is organising blood donation camps, cleanliness drives, and exhibitions across the country to showcase the achievements of the central government during the campaign. (ANI)