LUCKNOW, July 11 -- A series of religious ceremonies, community outreach programmes and welfare initiatives across Uttar Pradesh capital on Friday marked the 75th birthday of defence minister Rajnath Singh who represents Lucknow in the Lok Sabha.

Bharatiya Janata Party's Lucknow unit organised various events at temples, a gurudwara, a madrasa, a Sanskrit college, hospitals and social welfare institutions. The main event was a Sundarkand recital at Hanuman Setu where BJP leaders and workers gathered to pray for Singh's long life. Party's Lucknow district unit chief Anand Dwivedi inaugurated the programme.

Deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak, cabinet minister Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, BJP state vice-president Neeraj Singh, MLC Mukesh Sh...