PM deplores attacks on Kashmiris, asks state govts to take stern action

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday asked state governments to take stern action if there is any attack on Kashmiris, calling those who targeted them recently in Lucknow "crazed people". In an apparent reference to remarks by opposition leaders after the recent air strikes on the Balakot terror camp in Pakistan, Modi also lashed at those “demeaning” the valour displayed by the armed forces after the Jaish-e-Mohammed attack against the CRPF in Kashmir.

Addressing a public meeting here, Modi brought up the Lucknow incident in which two Kashmiri vendors were thrashed on Wednesday, allegedly targeted by members of a right-wing group over the Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel last month. The prime minister called the Lucknow perpetrators “sirphirey log” (crazed people), in near identical remarks at the meeting and on Twitter.

"It is very important to maintain an atmosphere of unity in the country," Modi said. He congratulated the Yogi Adityanath government for acting promptly over what “some crazed people did to our Kashmiri brothers” in the Uttar Pradesh capital.

"I would also like to request other state governments to take the strongest action possible wherever there is an attempt to do something like this," he said. The prime minister was addressing the meeting after flagging off the commercial run on Lucknow Metro's North-South corridor, through video conferencing from Kanpur itself.

Modi also symbolically laid the foundation stone for the Agra Metro Rail project at the same event. He visited Varanasi and Ghaziabad too on Friday, launching development projects and addressing public meetings.

The prime minister criticised the opposition parties over recent remarks on the Balakot air strike, saying they were “demeaning”. "The valour shown by our armed forces after the Pulwama attack was witnessed by the entire nation. But it is very sad that continuous efforts are being made back home to demean the valour of the armed forces,” he said.

“Today, when the entire world has built pressure on Pakistan and it has been caught red-handed over terrorism, at this juncture statements which help Pakistan are being made." "Does this behove them (the political parties)?” he asked.

“They are doing this deliberately and for vested political interest. Don’t forget that based on your statements, Pakistan is spreading lies in the world," Modi said. He said the terrorists are now rattled and the recent terror attack in Jammu was a result of that.

"The terrorists are seeing that their end is near. The terrorists’ patrons will be rattled and those who make their living from the terrorists will also be rattled," he said. Taking a dig at opposition parties, the prime minister called their proposed “mahagathbandhan” (grand alliance) a “maha-milawat”, or grand adulteration.

“Such people remember the poor, the farmers, the youth, the Ganga and the industries only when they go out to seek votes,” he said. “They say come let’s do `maha-milawat’, let's unite those who are in jail, those who will be going to jail and those who are out on bail. And they say come let's finish Modi unitedly. I say we should unitedly finish terror."

Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other UP ministers attended the event. Modi also distributed keys to houses built under the Prime Minister’s Awas Yojana.

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