Congress senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge has taken on Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' wife - Singer Amruta Fadnavis's 'Father of the Country' wishes to PM Modi on his birthday. Speaking to ANI, Kharge has said that only Mahatma Gandhi can be given the title of 'Father of the nation'. He had added that for popularity, such statements were made. He said that if they (BJP) wanted to refer PM Modi as 'their father of Nation', they could.

Mahatma Gandhi only 'Father of the Nation': Kharge

"Mahatma Gandhi is the only father of the Nation. Just for popularity, they give such statements. If they want to consider Prime Minister Modi as their father of Nation, let them," Kharge said talking to reporters in New Delhi. PM Narendra Modi celebrated his 69th birthday on Tuesday.

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Amruta Fadnavis calls PM Modi 'Father of the country'

Wishing the Prime Minister on his birthday, the renowned singer had shared a video of her performance of the hit Bollywood song 'Iktara' at a charity event. She tweeted 'Wishing the Father of our country Narendra Modi Ji a very Happy Birthday'. She added that PM Modi inspired Indians to work relentlessly towards the betterment of society. PM Modi was wished by many politicians and ordinary citizens.

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Senior BJP leaders wish PM Modi

Earlier on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was wished by senior Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leaders and Union Ministers since midnight. Among the first to wish were Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other leaders like Shivraj Chouhan and Suresh Prabhu. They all lauded the respect the Prime Minister evoked on all levels. They also stated that India was reaching new heights under the Prime Minister's leadership.

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PM Modi's birthday celebrations:

PM Modi kicked off his birthday in his home ground -Gujarat's Ahmedabad. PM Modi visited the Sardar Sarovar Dam and performed an hour-long puja.  On the morning on his birthday, PM Modi visited his mother in Gandhinagar and the Kevadia colony which is near the infamous statue of unity. Meanwhile, the BJP is celebrating Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday as 'Seva Saptah' starting September 14. The party has announced that several social initiatives will be undertaken by the party leaders across the nation during this week-long period. 

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(With ANI Inputs)