As promised, Modi shares Diwali photos with his 'friend' Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu
New Delhi, Nov 8: Dressed in heavy mountain gear, Prime Minister Narendra Modi who celebrated Diwali with soldiers on Wednesday shared glimpses of his Uttarakhand visit with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.
Modi shares Diwali ‘Surprise’ photos with Bibi
Netanyahu
had
conveyed
Diwali
greetings
to
Modi
on
Tuesday.
In
reply,
the
prime
minister
had
said
he
would
celebrate
the
day
with
soldiers
and
share
pictures
of
the
same
Wednesday
evening.
Taking
to
Twitter,
Modi
tweeted,"Dear
PM
@netanyahu,
as
promised
yesterday,
here
are
some
glimpses
of
how
I
celebrated
Diwali.
I
went
to
the
magnificent
state
of
Uttarakhand,
where
I
paid
a
surprise
visit
to
our
brave
troops
in
Harsil,
followed
by
prayers
at
Kedarnath,
one
of
the
holiest
places
in
India."
‘Will ensure you a good life’
Modi
said
that
Army
and
ITBP
personnel's
devotion
to
duty
in
the
remote
icy
heights
is
enabling
the
strength
of
the
nation.
Greeting
the
jawans
in
the
Harshil
cantonment
area,
the
prime
minister
said
they,
through
their
commitment
and
discipline,
are
securing
the
future
and
the
dreams
of
125
crore
Indians
and
helping
spread
a
sense
of
security
and
fearlessness
among
the
people.
He
said
that
Diwali
is
the
festival
of
lights,
it
spreads
the
light
of
goodness
and
dispels
fear.
The prime minister recalled that he has been visiting soldiers on Diwali ever since he was the chief minister of Gujarat. He also spoke of his interactions with the jawans of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), years ago when he was part of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
The prime minister said India is taking great strides forward in the defence sector. He spoke of various measures being taken for the welfare of ex-servicemen, including implementation of 'one rank, one pension' (OROP).
Prime Minister offered sweets to the jawans and interacted with people
Modi said that the Indian Armed Forces draw admiration and appreciation across the world, in UN peacekeeping operations. The prime minister offered sweets to the jawans. He also interacted with people from nearby areas who had gathered to greet him on Diwali. Harshil is a cantonment area situated at a height of 7,860 feet close to the India-China border in Uttarkashi district.
"We are continuously shoring up our defences, be it the army, navy or air force. We are also ensuring that our ever watchful and dedicated soldiers lead a good life even after retirement," PM Modi said at Harsil, around 45 km from the India-China border.
Modi offers prayers at Kedarnath
The prime minister later reached Kedarnath to offer prayers and review the progress of reconstruction projects at Kedarpuri. Kedarpuri, the township situated close to the Himalayan shrine, had bore the brunt of the catastrophic floods of 2013, which killed thousands of people.
A statement from the Prime Minister's Office said Modi extensively walked around the entire temple complex, where significant reconstruction works are in progress. He was briefed by senior officials about the progress of the works. He interacted briefly with several people present at the temple complex.
Kedarnath Temple complex:
The Kedarnath Temple complex is currently the focus of a major development and reconstruction effort, following the severe flood and landslide in 2013.
The last time the Prime Minister had been to Kedarnath was in October 2017, just before the portals of the Himalayan shrine close for the winters. After becoming the prime minister in 2014, Modi had spent his Diwali at Siachen with jawans. In 2015, he had visited the Punjab border on Diwali. His visit coincided with 50 years of the 1965 Indo-Pak war. The next year, Modi was in Himachal Pradesh where he spent time with Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel at an outpost. Modi had spent his fourth Diwali as prime minister with soldiers in Gurez in Jammu and Kashmir last year.
(with PTI inputs)