Sending out a terse message to the neighbouring country on the occasion of the 25th Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday warned Pakistan by asserting that the Indian soldiers will crush terrorism with full force and the enemy will be given a befitting reply. In his maiden visit to Ladakh after taking the oath of office for the third time, Modi also reminded Pakistan that it has not learned anything from the past.

Without mincing any words the Prime Minister said, “In Kargil, we not only won the war, we presented an incredible example of ‘truth, restraint and strength”. The Prime Minister threw light on Pakistan’s deceit at a time when India was making all efforts to maintain peace.          “Falsehood and terror were brought down to their knees by truth”, he added.

Condemning terrorism, the Prime Minister said Pakistan has always faced defeat in the past. “Pakistan has not learned anything from its past and has continued to wage war in the garb of terrorism and proxy wars to stay relevant”.

Addressing the Shradhanjali Samaroh after paying homage to the bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty the Prime Minister said, “Today I am speaking from a place where the masters of terror can hear my voice directly. I want to tell these patrons of terrorism that their nefarious intentions will never succeed. Our soldiers will crush terrorism with full force and the enemy will be given a befitting reply,” he added.

“India will overcome all challenges that come in the way of development, be it  Ladakh or Jammu & Kashmir”, the Prime Minister reiterated.

On July 26, 1999, the Indian Army announced the successful culmination of “Operation Vijay”, reclaiming the positions occupied by Pakistani infiltrators/army regulars on the Indian side of the LoC in the Kargil region after a nearly three-month-long battle in Ladakh.

Responding to the political muscle flexing over the Agnipath scheme, the Prime Minister responded by clearly saying the purpose of Agnipath is to keep forces young and continuously battle-ready”.

Referring to the blatant politicization of this sensitive subject, the Prime Minister said, “The truth is that the Agnipath scheme will increase the strength of the country and the country will also get capable youth. Announcements have been made to give priority to Agniveers in the private sector and paramilitary forces as well”, he said.

Rejecting the propaganda about the intention of saving pension burden as the main reason behind the Agnipath Scheme, the Prime Minister reminded that the pension burden of the soldiers being recruited today will come up after 30 years, therefore, this can not be the reason behind the scheme. “We have respected this decision taken by the armed forces because for us the security of the country is more important than politics”, he added.

The Prime Minister pointed out that those misleading the youth of the nation today had no regard for the armed forces in the past. Recalling the false promises made by past governments on One Rank One Pension, the Prime Minister underlined that it was the present government that implemented the scheme where ex-servicemen were given more than Rs 1.25 lakh crores. He further pointed out the neglect of past governments and said, “These are the same people who did not build a war memorial for the martyrs even after 7 decades of independence, did not provide enough bulletproof jackets to our soldiers deployed on the border and kept ignoring Kargil Vijay Diwas.”

The Prime Minister along with the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Brig (Dr) B D Sharma, Union Minister of State for Defence,  Sanjay Seth, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Anil Chauhan and the Chiefs of Army Staff of the three armed forces were present on the occasion. The Prime Minister heard the Gaurav Gatha: Briefing on Kargil War by NCOs and visited Amar Sansmaran: Hut of Remembrance. He also visited the Veer Bhoomi.

The Prime Minister also witnessed the first blast of the Shinkun La Tunnel Project in Ladakh, virtually today. Shinkun La Tunnel Project consists of a 4.1 km long Twin-Tube tunnel to be constructed at around 15,800 feet on the Nimu – Padum – Darcha Road to provide all-weather connectivity to Leh.

Referring to the historic decision taken by his government, Modi said that in a few days from now on the 5th of August, the abrogation of Article 370 will complete 5 years and the Jammu & Kashmir of today is talking about a new future full of dreams. The Prime Minister gave examples of progress and mentioned holding G20 meetings in the UT, the government’s focus on infrastructure development and tourism, cinema halls opening up, and the tazia procession being initiated after three and a half decades. “This heaven on earth is swiftly moving in the direction of peace and prosperity”, the Prime Minister added.

Referring to the ambitious targets for the border areas, the Prime Minister informed that the Border Road Organization (BRO) has completed more than 330 projects including Sela Tunnel, showcasing New India’s capabilities and direction.

Emphasizing the importance of upgrading military technologies, the Prime Minister said in the changing global scenarios, our defence force needs the latest weapons and equipment along with a modern working style and arrangements. Modi said that the defence sector had felt the necessity to upgrade in the past as well, but unfortunately, this issue was not given much importance. “However, in the last 10 years, Defence reforms have been prioritized, making our forces more capable and self-reliant,” he added.