Ghazipur (UP): BJP National President JP Nadda on Friday said "Pakistan has been isolated" and the world has understood where terrorism is emanating from. Nadda, whose term as BJP president was extended till June 2024 at the party's national executive meet on Tuesday, also praised India's foreign policy, which now "supports our defence forces".
During an interaction with ex-servicemen here, Nadda said, "Today Pakistan has been isolated in the world 'kyonki duniya ko samajh aa gaya hai ki aatankvaad ki janani kahan hai' (as the world has understood where terrorism emanates from). The world has also understood how India has fought against terrorism."
He also showered praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said, "Who is that prime minister to have celebrated Diwali with the jawans at the border. This is a message not only for the jawans posted at the nation's border. The prime minister and 130 crore people of the country are standing with you.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi is of the view that when the Army becomes strong, then the country becomes strong and the country is secured." Nadda said the biggest change that happened under the Modi government "is that our foreign policy supports our defence forces today. Prime Minister Modi has conveyed to the world that neither India supports any kind of terrorism nor will it tolerate it".
"Today, India is transforming from the point of view of the Army and the border. Today is that India which you have not seen earlier... Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken tough decisions to protect the country. I take pride in the fact that India's Army is considered to be the most powerful in the world. Be it any type of crisis, the jawans of India have protected us and the borders," Nadda said.
Nadda also hit out at previous governments at the Centre on defence procurement and said, "Before Modiji's government, there were no purchases. Our 'fauji bhaai' (jawan brothers) were in trouble but no concern was expressed. "There were scams in the purchases of submarines, helicopters, fighter jets and bulletproof jackets. But after Narendra Modi came (to power), the Army has been equipped."
The BJP chief said, "(Earlier) our soldiers guarding the frontlines in Poonch had to wait for orders before replying to the enemy's bullet as it used to reach Delhi after crossing three reporting stations in Nagrota, Ambala and Chandi Mandir. After Modiji became PM, the soldiers were provided authority to reply to enemy bullets in real time."
Taking a jibe at former Union minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, Nadda said, "P Chidambaram allocated Rs 500 crore for OROP (One Rank One Pension), which misguided our personnel as we all know OROP couldn't be fulfilled with such a meagre amount. PM Modi provided Rs 35,000 crore for OROP and increased the pension budget from Rs 44,000 crore to Rs 1.12 lakh crore." In December, the Centre approved revision of pension of Armed Forces personnel under the OROP scheme with retrospective effect from July 1, 2019, with the decision benefiting around 25 lakh pensioners.
Referring to the Indian Navy's new ensign, Nadda said, "Till last year, in the Navy's flag, there was St George's Cross. Now, it has the seal of Chhatrapati Shivaji. Today, the Defence corridor is being built in Uttar Pradesh. This will not just be a defence corridor, it will be the power house of Uttar Pradesh."
"The war memorial was pending for years and we didn't stop the earlier governments from making it. But they never took any step for its construction. Today, the world is remembering our heroes and on PM Modi's initiative the war memorial was completed," he said. At the beginning of his speech, Nadda paid tribute to Param Vir Chakra Abdul Hamid, who hailed from Ghazipur. (PTI)
