Vadnagar, Sep 17 (IANS) Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, on Thursday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s political opponents could not accuse him of corruption, as he highlighted what he described as his clean public life, during a birthday event in Vadnagar. Addressing a gathering at Sharmishtha Lake during the launch of the 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan', HM Shah said PM Modi had spent 25 years in public life without facing allegations of corruption from his opponents.He also linked what he described as PM Modi’s personal integrity to the absence of a visible political family network around him.“For 25 years of public life, there has not been a single stain on his kurta. Even his opponents, even those in the Opposition, cannot accuse Modi ji of corruption,” HM Shah said.He compared PM Modi’s political career to a lotus, saying that despite operating in a difficult political environment, he had maintained a clean record.Shah’s remarks formed part of a broader account of PM Modi’s personal life, political career and years in government as the Prime Minister turned 76 on Thursday.

The 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' has been launched to mark his birthday and 25 years in public life, with the campaign scheduled to continue until October 7.The event in Vadnagar included a Maha Aarti at Sharmishtha Lake, a march to Hatkeshwar Mahadev Temple, the launch of the Vadnagar-to-Varanasi service journey and a cleanliness campaign.A bike yatra linking PM Modi’s birthplace with Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, was among the central activities of the programme."I have worked with PM Modi closely from his organisational years in Gujarat through his tenure as chief minister and subsequently as prime minister," he said.Shah also pointed to PM Modi’s personal simplicity and family background. He said that despite 25 years in public office, there was little public knowledge of PM Modi’s relatives.“Modi ji’s family is known to the entire country, because Modi ji has considered India his family,” Shah said, adding that PM Modi regarded the country’s people as his family.The Home Minister also used the occasion to contrast PM Modi’s public life with what he said were earlier practices surrounding public awards and recognition.He said that when he had been in Delhi from 2010 to 2013, Padma Awards had often involved recommendations from influential circles."The awards have subsequently come to recognise people working for communities across different states and regions," he said.Shah ended his address by saying that PM Modi’s life could be summed up in two words — “Bharat First”. "He had dedicated himself to the welfare of the country and its people," he added.

/ IANS