Surgical strike showed India’s new ‘policy’, ‘tradition’ to tackle terrorism, says PM

Srinagar, Feb. 3 (PTI): India’s surgical strike across the Line of Control has shown the world its new policy (neeti) and tradition (reeti) in tackling terrorism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Sunday.
In a stern message to those spreading terrorism and killing innocent youths, the prime minister said the country would give befitting response to every terrorist.

“I assure all the youths of Jammu and Kashmir and the country that the government will give befitting response (‘muhtod jawab’) to every terrorist. We will break the backbone of terror in the state,” he said addressing a function here.
Paying homage to those killed while fighting terrorists, including Nazir Ahmed Wani and Aurangzeb from Jammu and Kashmir, Modi said heroes are those who live to fulfil dreams and the biggest cowards are the ones who kill others’ dreams.

“Today the whole country is angry to see the killings of innocent and armless Kashmiri youths. (These Kashmiri boys are targeted) because these youths want to live and fulfil their dreams. But they are targeted by terrorism. This is the truth of terrorism here,” he said, adding the Indian government will fight terrorism with all its might.

The prime minister said the development of people of Jammu and Kashmir and that of the state is the priority of the central government.
Modi assured all that his government will follow the late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s dream of peaceful and prosperous

Kashmir with the motto of “sabka saath, sabka vikaas” (collective efforts, inclusive growth).
“We will keep making all the efforts (in realising this dream),” the prime minister said.
Modi laid foundation stones of various development work in Srinagar region worth INR 7,000 crore.
He also inaugurated a rural Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) in Bandipore.

This will enhance employment opportunities for the Kashmiri youths, he said.
The prime minister also inaugurated multipurpose indoor sports facility at Sephora, Ganderbal, among other projects.
Earlier in the day, Modi interacted with students from different states of the country.
Responding to a question, he said the government was trying to make Indian institutes of global level so that lakhs and crores of rupees going out of the country to the foreign institutions are stopped.

Govt. committed to Citizenship Bill to help children of ‘Maa Bharti’ living in Pak, Afghan
Making a strong pitch for the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Sunday his government would stand with the children of “Maa Bharti” who have faced persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

Addressing a rally in Vijaypur in Jammu region, Modi said “there are many children of Maa Bharti who have faced persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh…We will stand with those who were part of India at one time, but got separated from us” due to the Partition in 1947.

Targeting the Congress for its opposition to the piece of legislation, he said that party, when it was in power, did not pay “attention of the pain of our brothers and sisters”.
“But we have brought the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill with a commitment… If they are discriminated on the basis of faith, the country will stand up with them,” the prime minister said.

He also referred to the Kartarpur Corridor issue to target the Congress.
“The previous governments had the tendency to ignore the necessities and sentiments of the country. You are well aware of that. Take

Kartarpur corridor issue for instance. Had they paid attention, then the land of Guru Nanak Dev would have been a part of India,” Modi said, referring to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur in Pakistan where Sikhism founder Guru Nanak had settled.
Modi addressed public meetings in Leh and Vijaypur in Jammu, after inaugurating several development projects in Jammu and Kashmir.

He said the BJP-led government at the Centre was dedicated to the causes of Kashmiri Pandits, who had to abandon their homes in Kashmir Valley in the wake of spread of terrorism.
“They had to leave their homeland, the pain that they had to undergo, I have never said this but their pain is within me too,” Modi said.