Pulwama Attack Aftermath: Army Has Resolved to Wipe Out Terrorists and Their Harbourers, Says Narendra Modi in 'Mann ki Baat'

New Delhi, February 24: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the Army has resolved to “wipe out” terrorists and their harbourers after the Pulwama attack and underlined that the killing of the 40 CRPF personnel will keep inspiring the nation “relentlessly to uproot the very base of terrorism”. “We shall have to take up this challenge facing our country, forgetting all barriers of casteism, communalism, regionalism and other difference(s), so that, our steps against terror are firmer, stronger and more decisive,” he said in his 53rd “Mann ki Baat” radio broadcast, the last before the general elections.

Modi said, “Our armed forces have consistently displayed unparalleled courage and valour. On the one hand, they have exemplary capabilities in restoring peace; on the other, they have retaliated in equal measure, in the language the attackers understand.” The Prime Minister said the Army has resolved to wipe out terrorists and harbourers after the Pulwama strike. Pulwama Attack: PM Narendra Modi Vows to Give Befitting Reply to JeM Strike, Says 'Army Given Free Hand'.

The sacrifice of the CRPF soldiers “will keep inspiring us relentlessly to uproot the very base of terrorism; it will fortify our resolve”, he said. Modi also said that retributive action was accomplished within a 100 hours of the Pulwama attack. He was apparently referring to the elimination of Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists who masterminded the February 14 attack killing 40 CRPF jawans.

“As a consequence of the Pulwama attack and the sacrifice of the brave jawans, people across the country agonised and enraged. All around, there is a deluge of strong feelings of sympathy for the martyrs and their family members,” he said. The sacrifice of the CRPF men has brought to the fore touching and inspiring stories of their kin which give hope and strength to the entire country, the Prime Minister said.Modi, who will dedicate the National War Memorial  to the nation tomorrow, said it is a symbol of India's gratitude to the soldiers who made supreme sacrifice after Independence and will be akin to a pilgrimage to a holy place.

The memorial is located in the heart of the capital in close vicinity of India Gate and Amar Jawan Jyoti. “India not having a national war memorial used to surprise me, pain me, a memorial that would house the valour saga series of our brave soldiers who laid down their lives, safeguarding their nation’s security. And I took a resolve that the country must have such a memorial,” he said.

The Prime Minister said he was contented to see the monument being completed in a short time.“Tomorrow crores of we Indians will dedicate this national soldiers’ memorial to our Armed Forces,” he said. The concept of the memorial is "based on the notion of four concentric circles, which depicts the journey of a soldier from coming into being, culminating in martyrdom", he said.

Lauding the contribution of the armed forces, police and para-military forces, the Prime Minister said that he was blessed with the opportunity to dedicate the National Police Memorial, to the nation last year. During the broadcast, Modi expressed confidence that he would return to power after the general elections and address the ‘Mann ki Baat’ programme again in the end of May.

Modi also paid tributes to tribal leader Birsa Munda who waged a struggle against the British for freedom, industrialist Jamsetji Tata and former Prime Minister Morarji Desai on the occasion. While Munda was arrested by the British forces on March 3, 1900, the birth anniversary of Jamsetji Tata falls on March 3, he said, adding that Morarji Desai was born on February 29. He said Desai, who was one of the most disciplined leaders, had introduced the 44th constitutional amendment which restored certain powers of the Supreme Court and declared that the fundamental rights granted under Articles 20 and 21 of the Constitution could not be abrogated during the Emergency.