Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at an election rally in Jammu on Saturday, commemorated the 2016 Uri surgical strike against terrorist camps in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. Modi declared that the BJP government’s strong response to terrorism demonstrated the resolve of a “new India,” saying, “Yeh naya Bharat hai, yeh ghar mein ghuskar maarta hain (This is the new India, it enters homes and strikes).” The surgical strike, launched on September 28, 2016, was a retaliation against a terror attack on an Indian army base in Uri earlier that month, which had claimed the lives of 19 soldiers.
Modi emphasized that the action showcased India’s willingness to act decisively in the face of cross-border terrorism, contrasting it with the Congress party’s approach during previous skirmishes. “Remember that time when bullets were fired from that side, and the Congress used to wave white flags,” Modi remarked, in a sharp rebuke of the opposition’s handling of national security.
Turning his attention to local politics, Modi launched a stinging attack on the Congress, National Conference (NC), and People’s Democratic Party (PDP), criticizing what he called the “three-family rule” in Jammu and Kashmir. “The people of Jammu and Kashmir are tired of corruption, job discrimination, and endless bloodshed. They don’t want the same system of terrorism and separatism—they want peace, and they want a better future for their children,” Modi said, positioning the BJP as the party capable of delivering change.
The prime minister also expressed confidence in the BJP’s success in the ongoing assembly elections, claiming, “There has been huge voting in favour of BJP in both phases. The first government of the BJP will be formed with a full majority here.” Jammu and Kashmir has already completed two phases of polling on September 18 and 25, with the results set to be declared on October 8.
