Nowshera (J&K): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday arrived in Nowshera, Jammu to celebrate Diwali with soldiers, thereby continuing his annual tradition. He lauded the soldiers for serving on the borders, adding that they are the "Suraksha Kawach" (armour) of the nation. He has been visiting soldiers on Diwali, ever since he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
"Our soldiers are the 'Suraksha Kawach' of 'Maa Bharti'. It is because of you all that people of our country can sleep peacefully and there is happiness during festivals," the Prime Minister said.
"I have spent each Diwali with soldiers guarding our borders. Today, I have brought along with me the blessings of crores of Indians for our soldiers here," PM Modi further added.
During his visit, PM Modi dressed in an army camouflage jacket, paid tribute to soldiers who lost their lives in the line of duty. He left for Nowshera early in the morning today with minimal security arrangements and no traffic restrictions in place on the route in Delhi.
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Last year, PM Modi celebrated the festival of lights with soldiers at Longewala in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer and had said that as long as the Indian soldiers are present, the celebrations would continue in full swing and be luminescent.
In 2019, the Prime Minister interacted with soldiers in the Rajouri district along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.
He had called soldiers as his family and lauded them for guarding the borders even during festivals. He had even exchanged Diwali greetings with the Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel at Pathankot Air Force Station.
In 2018, Prime Minister Modi had celebrated Diwali with jawans of the Indian Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), at Harsil in Uttarakhand and had offered prayers at the Kedarnath shrine.
In 2017, he celebrated the festival with the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel in the Gurez Valley of Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora District.
In 2016, the PM went to Himachal Pradesh to celebrate the festival with Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel, and in 2015 visited the Punjab border.
In 2014, Prime Minister Modi spent Diwali in Siachen with soldiers.
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