Bhopal: Raising eyebrows in several quarters, the Madhya Pradesh government on Wednesday announced to observe “Sadbhavana Diwas” (Harmony Day) on August 18, two days before the 73rd birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

The decision by the state BJP government has taken Congress by surprise as the party has been celebrating the late leader’s birth anniversary every year across the country as “Sadbhavana Diwas” for the past 25 years to promote national integration and communal harmony.

The Shivraj Singh Chouhan government had issued a notification here on Wednesday declaring that “Sadbhavana Diwas” would be observed across the state on August 18 to promote peace among the people of MP. Congress will celebrate “Sadbhavana Diwas” on August 20 this year.