Modi: I share the fire in your heart

Hailing the sacrifice of CRPF jawans killed in Pulwama, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that he feels the same anguish and pain as every Indian over the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

“I can feel the fire that has been burning in your heart after our soldiers were martyred in Pulwama. The same fire is burning in my heart,” the Prime Minister said at a public meeting after laying foundation stones and dedicating to the nation various schemes, including the longawaited metro rail project for Patna, estimated to cost ` 33,000 crore.

Without mentioning Pakistan, Mr Modi gave words to the public anger over the terror strike by Pakistan- supported Jaish- eMohammed ( JeM) and paid tribute to two CRPF jawans from Bihar who were martyred in Pulwama.

“I salute and pay my tributes to Sanjay Kumar Sinha and ■

Ratan Kumar Thakur,” the Prime Minister said, referring to the state’s two martyred CRPF personnel from Patna and Bhagalpur. Mortal remains of Sinha and Thakur were cremated in full state honours in their villages on Saturday.

Mr Modi, who began his speech with a few lines in the local Angika dilect, said the NDA’s strategy of development was twopronged — one was development of infrastructure and the other upliftment of deprived sections of society. He also mentioned the 10 per cent reservation given by the government to the Economically Weaker Section ( EWS) of the upper caste.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar also paid his tribute to the martyred CRPF jawans and said that the prevailing mood in the country is to avenge the Pulwama terror attack.

He urged the Prime Minister to take stern action against those who have been involved in the “cowardice act” in which CRPF jawans were martyred.

“It was nothing but a cowardice act and we will soon teach them a lesson. An all- party meeting has already been convened and Prime Minister has also clarified that there won’t be any talks this time but stern action will be taken to avenge the attack,” Mr Kumar said.

Later, Mr Modi visited Jharkhand and laid the foundation stone of 500bedded hospitals in Hazaribag, Dumka, Jamshedpur and Palamu.

— PTI Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar during the inauguration and foundation stone- laying ceremony of various development projects in Begusarai on Sunday.