The people of India are proud of their Army with the recent surgical strike against terrorists sending across a clear message to terror elements. The surgical strike was against terrorists and not some type of war against any nation, said the Union Minister of law and Justice and Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad. Addressing a Press conference held in the Bharatiya Janata Party state head office in Dehradun on Saturday, Prasad said that the Union Government had “no desire or plan to impose a uniform civil code” in the nation, responding to a query about the centre’s position as submitted in the Supreme Court on the issue of triple talaq.
Prasad said that there are ample opportunities for criticising or questioning the opposite side in politics but raising question to discredit the sacrifice of the army men is not fair. He said, “The surgical strike was carried out against terrorists and is not akin to a war-like action aimed at any nation.” Replying to a query, he said that the surgical strike by India had sent a clear message and as far as prime minister Narendra Modi is concerned, there is no need for him to speak on issues as his deeds were clearly communicating his stance. The minister also announced that the Union Government had sought land from the State Government required for the establishment of a centre of the National Insitute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIElIT) in Haridwar and a sub-centre of the same institute in Almora, while also adding that WiFi will be facilitated in the Char Dham centres after the seasonal melting of the snow in the area. Pointing to the Congress party national vice president Rahul Gandhi, the union minister also condemned the “khoon ki dalali” statement made by the Congress VP. “We had hoped that the elders in the Congress party would teach the needful to the party vice president but it appears as if devotion to Rahul Gandhi is accorded greater importance in the Congress party than devotion to the nation. Instead of raising questions at the army, the Congress should recall how during the Bangladesh war the Jana Sangh had fully supported the Government at that time with Indira Gandhi as the prime minister,” said Prasad.
When asked about the Government of India’s stand on triple talaq, he said that views sould also be sought of the victim women of the Muslim community opposing the triple talaq system.
He said that the stance of the Government as submitted to the supreme court was to the effect that the triple talaq practice was not in accordance with the principles of justice, gender equality and the honour of women in a manner which could not be expected in the constitutional structure of a secular nation.
The triple talaq had been done away with in about a dozen Islamic nations including Bangladesh, Egypt, Morocco, Pakistan, Indonesia and Sudan among others he added.
BJP State chief Ajay Bhatt and national spokesman Anil Baluni were also among those present on the occasion.