Hrithik Roshan is celebrating his 50th birthday today, prompting an outpouring of affectionate wishes across social media. Among the most heartfelt greetings were those from his parents, Rakesh Roshan and Pinkie Roshan. Rakesh Roshan shared an endearing picture of the duo, sending his son warm wishes for a “happy half century.” Simultaneously, Pinkie Roshan posted a ‘then and now’ picture collage of Hrithik, praising him as a pure soul with a heart of gold.

Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, Rakesh Roshan shared a snapshot with Hrithik, both sporting matching black outfits. In his message to “Duggu” Rakesh wished him a life filled with unforgettable memories and outstanding achievements. “Duggu happy half century. Cheers to 50yrs of love, unforgettable memories and to many incredible achievements ahead. Lots of love & blessings,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, Pinkie Roshan’s collage juxtaposed a childhood photo of Hrithik with a recent still from the movie Fighter. Her caption emphasised that both images reflect the same pure soul. “From 5 months to 50, your journey may be shared across celluloid and social media to millions, but those who know and love you understand that you’ve always been larger than life,” she wrote.

Pinkie expressed a deeply personal connection, reminiscing about the joy she felt from the moment Hrithik was a heartbeat growing within her. She lauded his lifelong commitment to spreading joy, bringing laughter, and imbuing life with vitality. Furthermore, she praised his advocacy for the marginalised, empathy towards people from all walks of life, and exemplary respect for women, serving as a role model for his sons, Hrehaan and Hridhaan Roshan.

“Your entire life has been about serving others and helping them reach their true potential, touch nirvana, and go beyond the limits they’ve put on themselves,” Pinkie acknowledged. She concluded her heartfelt note by affirming that Hrithik’s happiness is paramount and eternal for her, irrespective of his age. “Happy Birthday and all my love,” she concluded.

On the work front, Hrithik Roshan’s upcoming project is Siddharth Anand’s aerial action film, Fighter, featuring Deepika Padukone, Anil Kapoor, Karan Singh Grover, and Akshay Oberoi. The film is scheduled for a theatrical release on January 25, 2024.

Having set itself a mammoth target of winning 400 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats in the upcoming elections, the BJP is looking at all avenues, including bringing in leaders from other parties, to achieve it, sources have told NDTV.

At an important strategy meeting held on Tuesday, BJP President JP Nadda assigned different responsibilities to various general secretaries of the party. BJP General Secretary Vinod Tawde has been given charge of the joining committee.

“This committee will explore the possibility of bringing influential leaders and sitting MPs from other parties to the BJP. The decision will be taken based on the person’s influence in the constituency and his or her ability to win elections,” a source said, adding that the party may explore this option particularly in seats where it does not feel it has a candidate capable of winning. 

This decision also ties in with the party’s focus on 160 seats that it lost during the last election. 

The only time a single party has crossed the 400 figure in the Lok Sabha was the Congress, led by Rajiv Gandhi, in 1984. That election was also the last time a party had won a majority on its own until the Narendra Modi-led BJP stormed into power in 2014.

Other Responsibilities

Party General Secretary Radhamohan Das Aggarwal has been entrusted with the task of making the vision document for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The election campaign, publicity and other related work will be looked after by Sunil Bansal and other general secretaries, while Dushyant Gautam will organise conferences of Buddhists across the country and tell them about the work carried out by the Narendra Modi government.

BJP chief Nadda held the meeting with party general secretaries and Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Bhupendra Yadav, Ashwini Vaishnaw and Mansukh Mandaviya. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also joined through video conferencing.

The Congress today declared that it would skip the massive inauguration ceremony being planned for the Ayodhya Ram Temple, saying it was a “political project” of the BJP and its ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The party said its leaders — party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, his predecessor Sonia Gandhi and the party’s Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury — who received the invitation, have declined.

“Religion is a personal matter. But the RSS/BJP have long made a political project of the temple in Ayodhya. The inauguration of the incomplete temple by the leaders of the BJP and the RSS has been obviously brought forward for electoral gain,” read a statement from senior party leader Jairam Ramesh.

“While abiding by the 2019 Supreme Court judgment and honouring the sentiments of millions who revere Lord Ram, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have respectfully declined the invitation to what is clearly an RSS/BJP event,” he added.

The party’s refusal to attend the high-profile event is expected to become the latest flashpoint between the Congress and the BJP ahead of the general election. For the BJP, which traditionally accuses the Congress of playing to minority sentiments — it is expected to be political gold.

Several Opposition parties, including the Left and Trinamool Congress, have made it clear that they would skip the event as well, providing ammunition to the BJP.

The Samajwadi Party is undecided — while the party has turned down the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s invite, its MLAs are keen on going. Sharad Pawar said he would not need an invite and go there as and when it is “destined”.  

Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena UBT is yet to get an invite.

The building of the temple had been the centrepiece of the BJP’s political plank and its promise had contributed to the party’s meteoric rise in the 1990s.  

The January 22 inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attended by political leaders, industrialists, actors and other prominent personalities.  The event — which was preceded by the inauguration of an international airport and the redeveloped railway station in the area– is generating huge interest.

The refurbished temple town is getting ready to host thousands on the big day, during which schools and colleges across Uttar Pradesh will remain shut. The event will be telecast live across the country and many places abroad.