"Never Imagined...": PM Modi On Completing 20 Years In Public Office

BJP chief JP Nadda said PM Modi had placed India at the centre of the global stage by ensuring decisiveness against terrorism and managing international diplomacy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday completed 20 years as the head of a government (including 13 years as the Gujarat Chief Minister), and, addressing an event in Uttarakhand's Rishikesh, said he had "never imagined I would rise" to hold such positions. PM Shri @narendramodi completes 20 years in public office today, dating back to 2001 when he took oath as the CM of Gujarat.His leadership from Gujarat to Delhi testifies to his transformative agenda for the nation.#20YearsofSevaSamarpanpic.twitter.com/YrdE3ebEmq

"I had never imagined that I would rise from the post of Chief Minister to the post of Prime Minister (but) on this day, 20 years ago, I got a new responsibility to serve the public. My journey of serving the people... living among the people... was going for many decades earlier but 20 years ago today I got a new responsibility - as the Chief Minister of Gujarat," he said.

Prime Minister Modi first took oath as the leader of the Gujarat government on October 7, 2001.

The Prime Minister's anniversary celebrations were hailed by members of his ruling BJP, including party chief JP Nadda, who listed some of the Modi government's "achievements" and credited him with "implementation of decisions... for the foundation of a strong nation".