New Delhi | Paying tribute to BJP ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay on his 109th birth anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that his ideas of nationalism and welfare of the poorest offer the country a path to prosperity, and help in building a developed India.

Modi described Upadhyay, a RSS functionary who played a key role in establishing the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, as a great son of India who proposed the philosophy of integral humanism.

Born in Mathura, Upadhyay was the key organisation functionary of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, in which lies the origins of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The BJP, which is observing a 'seva pakhwada' (service fortnight) to mark Modi's birthday on September 17, has organised a series of programme to observe Upadhyay's anniversary during the period.

The events include initiatives to promote Indian-made products under its campaign to advance swadeshi.

BJP president J P Nadda took part in a cleanliness drive in the national capital.