Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched a scathing attack on Pakistan, asserting that its sole objective is to foster hatred towards India and orchestrate harm, and at the same time, India remains steadfast in its pursuit of poverty eradication and economic advancement.
Addressing a large gathering in Gujarat’s Dahod, the Prime Minister lauded “Operation Sindoor,” describing it as not merely a military operation but a “profound expression of India’s ethos and feelings.” The operation was launched during the intervening night of May 6 and May 7 with the Indian Air Force targeting nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir which included the headquarters of banned outfits of Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba.
This operation was launched by India to avenge the gunning down of 26 people, mainly tourists, at Pahalgam on April 22 by Pakistan-supported terrorists.”How can India and Modi sit quiet after such a terrorist attack?” the Prime Minister questioned, eliciting a thunderous cheer from the crowd.
“Anyone who dares to erase the sindoor from the foreheads of our sisters will surely be eliminated,” he said, and added that terrorists may not have imagined in their wildest dreams how difficult it would be to fight against Modi. Sindoor is a sign of marriage, and its wiping off signifies widowhood.
The Prime Minister said the decisive action was a direct fulfilment of the responsibility entrusted to him by the nation’s citizens when they made him ‘pradhan sevak’ on May 26, 2014 and added that he had granted complete autonomy to the three wings of the armed forces, enabling them to execute actions unseen globally for decades.Criticising Pakistan, the Prime Minister said “the (neighbouring) country that came into existence after partition, lives on hatred for India. It only wants to harm Bharat. However, India’s goals are to remove poverty, bring about economic development and become a developed nation.”
In a strong appeal to the public, the Prime Minister asked them to prioritise ‘Made in India’ products, especially during festivals like Holi, Diwali, and Ganesh Puja.
“Don’t you think we have to stop using imported products?” he questioned, lamenting the use of imported items like firecrackers and Ganesha idols during Indian festivals.
“To ensure our country’s progress, everyone should take a resolve to purchase only Made in India products,” he urged, stressing that everything essential for India’s progress must be manufactured domestically.
Prime Minister Modi launched Rs 24,000 crore development projects, including a locomotive manufacturing plant at the Dahod event.
He unveiled the country’s first 9,000 horsepower locomotive engine as well as a rolling stock workshop built at a cost of Rs 21,405 crore.
He flagged off the Ahmedabad-Veraval Vande Bharat service and Valsad-Dahod express trains and told the gathering that state-of-the-art Vande Bharat trains were now operational on 70 routes across the country.
“There was a time when India had to import locomotives and coaches. Today, we manufacture them in India and export them to other countries,” the PM said.
The Vande Bharat service launched during the day between Sabarmati station in Ahmedabad and Veraval station will be a boon for devotees visiting the renowned Somnath Temple in Gir Somnath district.
He also announced that 100 per cent electrification of railway lines has been achieved in Gujarat.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi held a roadshow in Vadodara upon his arrival in Gujarat for a two-day visit.
Family members of Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, who came into the spotlight for holding regular press briefings about Operation Sindoor’, were also present among the enthusiastic crowd that gathered to greet the prime minister.
Colonel Qureshi hails from Vadodara, and her parents, brother Mohammad Sanjay Qureshi and sister Shyna Sunsara, were at the roadshow.
