Nadda visits Ganesh pandal in Mumbai, says he prayed for India’s progress under PM Modi

Mumbai, Aug 31 (PTI) BJP president and Union minister J P Nadda on Sunday visited a Ganesh pandal here and said he sought blessings for the country’s progress under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

“We all know Lord Ganesh is the god of wisdom and intellect who removes obstacles in one’s life. It is a privilege for me to visit the city during the Ganesh festival,” Nadda told reporters here.

Maharashtra minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, state BJP president Ravindra Chavan and Mumbai BJP chief Ameet Satam accompanied him.

Nadda recalled that Lokmanya Tilak launched the public celebration of the Ganesh festival in 1893, which later played a significant role in the freedom movement.

“It has now completed 133 years. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are moving towards an Atmanirbhar Bharat and a Swadeshi-oriented, strong, secure, prosperous and developed Bharat. I sought the blessings of Lord Ganesh to remove obstacles and strengthen us to achieve these goals,” he said.

Later, he wrote on X, “On the auspicious occasion of Ganeshotsav, I had the good fortune today to have the darshan of Vighnaharta at the Chandralok Ganpati Mandal in Mumbai.

“On this occasion, I also joined the general public and ‘karyakartas’ (workers) in listening to the 125th edition of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ by our respected Prime Minister.” Nadda, the Union Minister for Chemicals and Petrochemicals, also paid a courtesy call on Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan at his official residence Raj Bhavan, the latter’s office said.

Nadda had the darshan of Lord Ganesha installed at the Governor’s residence. The two also visited 'Krantigatha', the underground museum of revolutionaries (Bunker Museum), at the Raj Bhavan, it said.

The BJP president later visited the famous Lalbaugcha Raja pandal along with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and state minister Ashish Shelar.

Fadnavis on social media said that he and Nadda also took darshan and received blessings at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Dadar. “We prayed for the happiness and prosperity of all,” the CM said.

Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya visited ‘Varsha’, the CM’s official residence at Malabar Hill in south Mumbai. PTI ND ARU BNM NR