New Delhi, Jul 10 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted his Cabinet colleague and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh on his birthday on Wednesday, and said he has risen in public life on the basis of hardwork and commitment to service.

Singh, a former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and national president of the BJP, turned 73.

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Greeting the Defence Minister, Modi said on X, "A valued Cabinet colleague, he's a leader widely respected for his wisdom. He's risen in public life on the basis of hardwork and commitment to service. He is at the forefront of strengthening India's defence apparatus and making our nation self reliant in the sector. Praying for his long and healthy life."

Hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Singh started as a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of the RSS, and then joined the BJP's youth wing, steadily rising through its organisation.

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A genial and uncontroversial leader, he has often been the party's choice in reaching out to other parties, be opposition or allies, over tricky issues to build consensus.

He currently represents Lucknow in Lok Sabha.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)