New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday issued a strong warning to terrorists, saying India will deliver a befitting reply to anyone who dares to clash with the country.
Speaking in the Mann Ki Baat programme, Modi said India’s message from the Balakot strike to “Operation Sindoor” has remained consistent: terrorism will be met with decisive counter-action. He noted that the 10th anniversary of the “surgical strike” is approaching, recalling how Indian soldiers crossed the Line of Control to hit terrorist hideouts in Pakistan, which he said set a new benchmark for India’s anti-terror policy.
The Prime Minister also recalled paying tribute in New York after taking office in 2014, and conveyed condolences to the affected families on behalf of millions of Indians.
Modi described the census as a national responsibility in which every citizen has a role. He also said Indian youth are increasingly uniting against drugs through an anti-drug youth movement, carrying out campaigns and awareness drives.
Turning to heritage, he spoke about Gujarat’s Modhera Sun Temple, noting that 1,000 years have passed since it was damaged in 1026, the same year the Somnath temple was destroyed by Mahmud of Ghazni’s forces. He said King Bhima I resisted the invasion and rebuilt the Modhera temple within a short time. He also praised a heritage documentation effort in Manapparai in Tiruchirappalli district, led by Selvaraju from a local college’s Tamil department, who has identified sculptures and ancient temples through field study.
