New Delhi : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President Nitin Nabin on Thursday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his continued outreach to the country's armed forces and security personnel during Diwali, highlighting his tradition of celebrating the festival with soldiers deployed along the borders.
Speaking at the Deepawali Milan programme organised at the BJP central office in New Delhi in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nabin praised PM Modi's commitment towards the security personnel, saying that he holds Diwali celebrations with the soldiers deployed from INS Vikrant to the snow-covered borders while the rest of the country celebrates with their families at home.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been holding a Diwali Milan program with the soldiers of the country on the occasion of Diwali. From meeting them at INS Vikrant to the snow-covered borders, the Prime Minister is meeting soldiers on Diwali—meeting those people while we celebrate Diwali at home with our families," he said.
Emphasising the significance of the Prime Minister's outreach to security personnel, the BJP chief said that PM Modi celebrates Diwali with those who remain on duty to ensure the safety and security of citizens.
"The Prime Minister holds his Diwali Milan with those who think about ensuring our Diwali is good while guarding the borders. At the same time, this year, following the eradication of Naxalism, the Prime Minister's Diwali Milan was also held with those soldiers and jawans."
The BJP chief further highlighted the growing international recognition of India's festivals, traditions and cultural heritage, crediting Prime Minister Modi's efforts for taking them to the global platform.
He said that Diwali, which has traditionally been celebrated across India, is increasingly gaining recognition internationally, similar to the global popularity of Yoga.
"While we celebrate this festival of Diwali nationally every year, Prime Minister, this festival is gradually making India's identity recognised globally as well. And we can say that the way you have established Indian festivals, Indian traditions, and Indian culture at the global level, today the attraction toward Indian festivals has increased all over the world. And we can say that just like that subject of Yoga which you established internationally, India's festivals are now likewise gaining fame and establishing themselves on international standards and at the international level," he said.
The BJP president also underlined the importance of promoting India's cultural identity internationally, stating that the growing global interest in Indian festivals and traditions reflected their increasing acceptance and recognition across countries.
The Deepawali Milan programme was attended by several senior BJP leaders and Union Ministers, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda.