AMN
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday visited Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir to celebrate Diwali with Army troops guarding the Line of Control. Addressing the soldiers, Prime Minister hailed the valour of the Indian Defence Forces and said they have made it possible for the Central Government to take decisions which were hitherto considered impossible. He highlighted the courage and fortitude of the forces in safeguarding national security and thanked them on behalf of the people of the country for their monumental service.
He added that the increasing number of visitors to the National War Memorial in New Delhi shows the respect accorded by the citizens towards the contributions of armed forces. Prime Minister listed the steps being taken by the Government to further strengthen and modernize the Indian defence forces. He added that the Government is committed to taking steps to ensure the welfare of soldiers. On the way back from Rajouri, Mr. Modi also interacted with air warriors and personnel of the army at Pathankot Air Force Station.
The Prime Minister’s visit coincided with Infantry Day celebrations, which is observed to mark the landing of first Indian troops in Jammu and Kashmir in 1947 to push back Pakistan supported intruders. PM Modi directly flew to the Army Brigade Headquarters in the border district to interact with the troops deployed along the LoC. He held a meeting with senior Army officers to know about the latest situation on the borders in the wake of continuous ceasefire violations from across the border. He complimented the jawans and officials guarding the border and thwarting all the nefarious designs of an enemy country.
“This is for the third time that the prime minister visited Jammu and Kashmir to celebrate Diwali with the troops in the border state since 2014, and first after the abrogation of Article 370 provisions. Modi started the practice of interacting with troops serving in tough areas on Diwali soon after taking over as the prime minister in 2014 when he had spent his Diwali at Siachen in Ladakh region with the Jawans, besides visiting the flood victims in Srinagar. He visited Gurez sector of North Kashmir in 2017 and spent his Diwali with soldiers deployed there. Meanwhile, the jawans were feeling very enthusiastic for it was a dream come true for them when they saw Prime Minister amongst them celebrating Diwali and offering them sweets.