KOZHIKODE, Sept 25:
BJP President Amit Shah today said the Uri attack was part of a “long war” forced on India by Pakistan and declared that the country is committed to giving a “strong reply” to Pak-sponsored terrorism.
Shah while echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s view that those responsible for the terror strike last Sunday will not go unpunished said the attack was a result of Pakistan’s frustration after security forces foiled 17 infiltration attempts. “The final victory will be ours,” he said.
Taking on Pakistan, Shah also asserted that it is no less than a war crime if terrorism becomes part of a Government’s policy.
In his inaugural address at the party’s National Council, Shah said the party feels the widespread anger in the country as he hit out at Pakistan and supported the Modi Government’s diplomatic efforts to corner the neighbour. He later made a separate statement on the raging issue with the Prime Minister and entire top brass of the party present on the dais.
“BJP feels the widespread anger in the people against the conspirators behind the Uri terror attack. BJP and the Central Government have adopted the policy of zero tolerance against terrorism from the beginning. A strong reply to defeat such terror attempts will be given. 117 terrorists, which is the highest in recent times, have been killed in the last 8 months as the Centre started its strategic and strong fight against terrorism.
“Terrorists have made 17 attempts to infiltrate across the border in the last eight months but our brave soldiers have foiled them. The Uri attack has been carried out due to this frustration. This is a long war which has been forced on us by our neighbour. Uri is only its transit destination and not the final outcome. The final victory will be ours,” he said.
“The country is committed to give a strong reply to this Pakistan-sponsored terrorism,” he said.
His remarks came a day after Modi tore into Pakistan over the Uri attack, saying India will not forget it but indicated that his Government’s focus will be on isolating Pakistan diplomatically.
The party fully supports the Government’s diplomatic efforts to expose Pakistan, he said, adding that it has succeeded in showing the country’s true face to the world.
Shah noted that Modi has assured the people that those behind the incident will be punished. “However long is the battle, we will fight it and the victory will be ours.”
He appealed to the people and other political parties to support the Centre and the Army in this battle.
The world is shocked at Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s reference to Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani as a “peace-loving youth” and it is an evidence of that country’s involvement in terrorism, he said.
India has long been a victim of Pakistan’s sponsorship of terrorism and faced several small and big terror attacks in the last many years.
“Pakistan has become a centre of global terrorism,” he said.
Shah later announced that the BJP National Executive will meet on January 7-8 in Delhi and called on party workers to ensure that maximum number of people watches External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s address to the United Nation General Assembly (UNGA) tomorrow evening.
An accomplished orator, she is expected to hit back at Pakistan after its Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif targeted India over the Kashmir unrest and deflected blame for the Uri terror attack.
In his address, Shah targeted the UPA Government saying it was known for its numbers of scams running into over Rs 12 lakh crore and claimed that even opposition has not been able to accuse the Modi Government of any corruption.
He cited a number of schemes, like Mudra, Jan Dhan, Ujjawala and Crop Insurance, of the Central Government to project its pro-farmers and pro-poor credentials.
Referring to BJP’s growth, Shah said it had grown from 11 workers to become a party of more than 11 crore people and has more than 1,000 MLAs, 325 MPs in its ranks.
He also touched on his decision in 2014 to work for expanding BJP in seven States where it has been traditionally weak.
Out of these seven States, the party has formed Government in Assam and fetched 15 per cent and 10 per cent votes in Kerala and West Bengal assembly polls respectively, he said to the applause of over 1,700 delegates present in the meeting.
BJP Governments are in States having 50 per cent of the country’s area and 42 per cent population.
When Upadhyay spoke about ‘antyodaya’, few people in the party thought that it would get a chance to execute the concept and now, it is in power in 13 States, he said.
Modi later unveiled a bust of the party leader.
“BJP and its Government pledge to observe the centenary birth year of Upadhyay as the garib kalyan (poor’s welfare) year,” the party chief said.
He also touched on the upcoming assembly elections in several States, including high profile Uttar Pradesh polls, and claimed that the situation in the largest Indian State is a matter of concern due to its poor law and order.
With the protection of the State Government and ruling Samajwadi Party, land grabbers have a field day and women are feeling insecure.
“Besides Uttar Pradesh, BJP is ready in the battlefield to form Government in Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur,” he said. (PTI)
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