‘Militancy confined to few pockets in Kashmir’
Won’t allow river water to flow to Pak
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 3: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today mocked the Congress claim of carrying out six surgical strikes on Pakistan during their tenure describing the assertion as “paper strike conducted while sitting in the air conditioning rooms” and said it was his Government which took Pakistan establishment by surprise by taking aerial route when the neighbouring country had mounted surveillance and deployed tanks on the borders anticipating surgical strike by India in the aftermath of Pulwama terror attack in Kashmir in which 44 CRPF personnel were martyred.
In a series of tweets after addressing election rallies today and part of his interview released by a Hindi television news channel, which is to be telecast tomorrow, Modi described Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar’s listing as global terrorist by the United Nations as “third surgical strike on Pakistan” and declared that India will not allow water of its rivers to be flown to Pakistan and will instead use them for the people of rural areas.
Former Prime Minister and Congress leader Dr Manmohan Singh had yesterday stated that their Government had conducted “multiple surgical strikes” on Pakistan but never used them for “electoral benefits” while another Congress leader, Rajiv Shukla had mentioned dates and venues where six surgical strikes were carried out during the UPA regime.
“These were not the “surgical but paper strikes” conducted by the Congress by sitting in air conditioned rooms,” Modi said pointing out that initially the Congress used to mock and wanted evidence of surgical and air strikes conducted by India during the BJP Government but finding the people’s love and affection growing for the BJP in view of strikes, the party started making claims that they too had carried surgical strikes.
“Pehle upeksha, fir virodh, ab me too me too (They initially rejected it, then opposed and now saying me too),” Modi said on Congress claim of surgical strikes.
“What type of strikes were these about which the terrorists did not get to know, Pakistan didn’t know and even Indians didn’t know? First they mocked it. When they saw that the people are standing with Modi, then they started protesting. And now they say ‘me too me too”, he asserted.
Taking a dig at Congress, Modi said: “I think the Congress leaders play video games and perhaps enjoy surgical strikes thinking it of some game. The Congress leaders call in the Indian Army chief a `gunda’ and the Indian Air Force chief a `liar’. They don’t trust valour of our jawans and raise doubts on terror casualties”.
After Pulwama terror attack in South Kashmir on February 14, the Prime Minister said, Islamabad readied deployment at the borders including troops, tanks etc anticipating that India will carry out another surgical strike. However, he added, “we said ‘Bajrang Bali Ki Jai’ and conducted airstrike, taking Pakistan by surprise”.
“India is now such a power that it was capable of carrying out strikes from earth, water, air and space. This was possible because of change in our armed policy,” he said.
Referring to Jammu and Kashmir, Modi said terrorism in the Valley now has been confined to two or three districts and the militants can’t strike at the will.
On declaration of Jaish chief Masood Azhar as global terrorist by the United Nations, Modi tore into the Opposition for questioning timing of this major development and, in a lighter vein, asked whether the Election Commission should have issued the international body a notice before the step.
Modi declared that the Government will not allow excess water of its rivers to be flown to Pakistan and instead use it for helping the people in rural areas.
“The Congress Governments took no steps to check the water of our rivers flowing to Pakistan and divert it to the people of rural areas to meet their requirements. We won’t allow water of rivers to flow to Pakistan. How can we allow our water to go to Pakistan? We will take measures to ensure that water flows to our villages,” the Prime Minister said.
Asserting that Pakistan used to threaten India after every terror attack during Congress Government and the then dispensations get silenced, Modi said Pakistan, which used to terrorize us, was now itself terrorized for last four years and was under pressure to shut terror factories in their countries.
“Perpetrators of terrorism also see Modi in their dreams. Three surgical strikes have rattled Pakistan,” he asserted.
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