Amid Deadly Bihar Floods, BJP's 'Light A Lamp' Campaign For Modi's Birthday Sparks Opposition Fury
THE COMMONS VOICE · BIHAR · SEPTEMBER 17, 2026
A political row has broken out in Bihar after the ruling BJP asked citizens to light lamps at home to celebrate Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday, even as the state grapples with one of its worst flood crises in years.
At A Glance
| Flood impact | ~5 million people affected, 20+ deaths, 13–14 districts |
| The campaign | Diyas to be lit 6–7pm, Sept 17, for Modi's 76th birthday |
| Who's behind it | BJP National President Nitin Nabin, a Bihar leader |
| Disputed figure | RJD alleges ₹100 crore cost — an opposition claim, not a confirmed budget number |
What Happened?
BJP National President Nitin Nabin appealed to people to light a diya at their homes between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. on September 17 and pray for PM Modi's long life and good health, as part of the party's 'Aashirwad Ka Diya' initiative. The appeal is one part of a month-long "Seva Sankalp Abhiyan" marking Modi's 76th birthday and 25 years in public life, running through October 17, with service programmes including blood donation camps.
What Is Confirmed About The Floods?
More than 4 million people across 14 districts of Bihar have been affected after the Ganga River broke its own all-time high-water records at three gauge stations simultaneously. By mid-September, nearly five million people had been affected, according to Bihar's Disaster Management Department, with at least 20 deaths reported and swaths of farmland submerged. Officials have linked the scale of the disaster partly to a devastating late-August flash flood in Nepal's Rasuwa district that sent additional water downstream into Bihar.
What Sources Say
Tejashwi Yadav, RJD's national working president and Bihar's Leader of Opposition, said people in Bihar were struggling with floods, unemployment and inflation while the ruling party prepared to celebrate the Prime Minister's birthday. Purnia MP Pappu Yadav separately said the BJP should help flood victims before launching its birthday campaign.
RJD also alleged the state government planned to spend ₹100 crore lighting earthen lamps at schools and offices, calling it shameless amid the crisis. This rupee figure is RJD's own claim and could not be independently confirmed as an official government budget line at the time of publication.
Government Response And Relief Efforts
The state government says 13 relief camps have opened, with more than 1,000 community kitchens and nearly 1,800 boats deployed, and PM Modi has sent a federal team to assess damages. Bihar's Chief Minister said 7,000 rupees each had been transferred to more than 827,000 flood-affected families.
Latest Development
This remains a developing story as September 17 unfolds. At the time of publication, this could not be independently verified further; The Commons Voice will update this article as new statements or figures are confirmed.
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