Fire raging in your heart is in my heart too, says Modi

to the large number of people who have gathered here, I would like to say the fire that is raging in your heart, is in my heart as well

NARENDRA MODI, Prime Minister

BEGUSARAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday a fire was burning in his heart after last week’s attack in Pulwama, paying tributes to two troopers from Bihar who were killed in the deadliest strike on security forces in Jammu and Kashmir.

At a public meeting in north Bihar’s Barauni, Modi condoled the families of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel Sanjay Kumar Sinha and Ratan Kumar Thakur, who were among the 40 troopers killed after a suicide bomber in a car targeted their convoy on February 14.

“...to the large number of peo- ple who have gathered here, I would like to say the fire that is raging in your heart, is in my heart as well,” Modi said in Hindi, drawing a thunderous applause from the crowd.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, who shared the stage with the Prime Minister, expressed hopes of a strong response from India after the Pulwama strike, which has been claimed by the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-mohammad. Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan, too, condemned the “cowardly attack”.

The next part of Modi’s speech was dedicated to development works by his government. At the function, he launched projects worth ~33,000 crore in the run-up to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Modi touched upon several schemes launched by the Centre’s National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, and