BJP fulfilling aspirations of poor, asserts Amit Shah on party's 42nd foundation day

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said that the journey of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been about national service while the party has worked for the fulfilment of the aspirations of the poor, farmers, downtrodden and women who faced deprivation for seven decades. Shah on Wednesday posted a series of tweets on the occasion of the 42nd foundation day of the BJP.

"Salute to all the great leaders who made the BJP a banyan tree on the party's 42nd 'Sthapna Diwas (foundation day)'. Under the leadership of Narendra Modi and JP Nadda, the BJP is marching ahead with the welfare of the people and the progress of the nation. I wish all the party workers a Happy Foundation Day," Shah said.

He further said that the BJP since 2014 has been striving while becoming a medium for the fulfilment of the aspirations of crores of poor, farmers, downtrodden and women of the country who were deprived for seven decades. "This 42-year journey of the BJP has been a journey of national service, national upliftment and national reconstruction and since 2014 under the leadership of Narendra Modi BJP has become a means of fulfilling the aspirations of crores of poor, farmers, downtrodden and women of the country deprived for seven decades. #SthapnaDiwas," he tweeted.

Shah said that the BJP government has worked to provide homes, electricity, gas, toilet, bank account and health insurance to the poor. "Before 2014, ensuring two times of meals was a big struggle for the poor. Since Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, the BJP government has been working to provide homes, electricity connections, cooking gas, toilets, bank accounts and health insurance to the poor, besides free rations for a safe and dignified life for the poor of the country," Shah stated in another tweet.

The BJP is celebrating its 42nd foundation day today. On Wednesday morning, the BJP president JP Nadda will hoist the flag at the party headquarters and will garland the statues of its icons Syama Prasad Mookherjee and Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. The party will also organise a blood donation camp at its headquarters. The Prime Minister will address the party workers across the country at 10 am via video conferencing. Nadda will participate in a procession at 11 am in Karol Bagh.

The party will organise "Samajik Nyay Pakhwara" between April 7-20. Envoys of various countries will also be visiting the BJP headquarters in New Delhi on Wednesday. The BJP's earlier avatar was the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) which was founded by Syama Prasad Mookherjee in 1951.

Later the BJS was merged with several parties in 1977 to form the Janata Party. In 1980, the National Executive Council of the Janata Party banned its members from the 'dual membership' of the party and the Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (RSS). Consequently, the former Jana Sangh members left the party and floated the BJP on April 6, 1980.