India like US, Israel, retaliates if borders are meddled with: Amit Shah

Bengaluru, May 3: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday asserted that India has joined the likes of the US and Israel in hitting back at those meddling with their borders and pointed out at the surgical strikes carried out in the wake of the terrorist attack in Pulwama.

Flaying the previous Congress regime for its lax security measures, the Home Minister said India used to issue statements whenever terror attacks were carried out by the Pakistan-backed extremists but things have improved after Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister.

"Earlier only two nations, the United States of America and Israel, used to retaliate whenever someone meddled with their borders and military. Now due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our great nation India has joined that group," Shah said after inaugurating various projects including the Nrupathunga University, its academic block and various other projects.

After Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, terrorist attacks took place in Uri in 2016 and Pulwama in 2019, we carried out surgical strikes and air strikes within 10 days inside Pakistan, Shah told the crowd. "Some people question how it (surgical strike and air strike) had any effect. I tell them that it (counter attack) has a huge impact. Now the entire world knows that no one can meddle with Indian border, otherwise befitting reply will be given," the Home Minister said.

Speaking about other achievements of the Modi government, he said there were many issues such as abrogation of Article 370, 35-A, which gave special powers to Jammu and Kashmir and the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act were sorted out in no time. "August 5, 2019 will be written in Indian history with golden letters. People were saying that if Article 370 is abolished then it will lead to a bloodbath but no one could even dare to throw a pebble, let alone bloodbath. Prime Minister Modi annexed Kashmir with rest of India by abolishing Article 370," Shah said.

Speaking about various measures taken to improve the education system in the country, he said six new central universities, seven Indian Institutes of Management, seven Indian Institutes of Technology, 209 medical colleges, 320 universities and 5,709 new colleges came into being during the Modi regime.

Along with it, the country also set up 410 rural universities and many professional universities including forensic university, the Home Minister said. Congratulating the Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai after it was the first state to implement the new National Education Policy (NEP), the Union Home Minister said the policy aims to make India a great nation, which offers opportunities to people and provides a platform to youth to compete with the world.

He added that the NEP also emphasises on strengthening Indian culture, awareness and develop India as a knowledge superpower. "The NEP also gives importance to regional language," Shah explained. Underlining that the inauguration of the Nrupathunga University was happening in 2022 when the country is celebrating the platinum jubilee of its independence, Shah called on the youths to ensure that India becomes 'Vishwaguru' (world leader) in the next 25 years when the country celebrated the centenary of its independence.

"We got independence due to the sacrifices of our leaders including the supreme sacrifice. We did not get the opportunity to die for the nation but we have the chance to live for the country. We have to vow that India becomes a Vishwaguru by 2047," Shah said.

He appealed to the audience to take small oaths, which can transform the country such as they will not evade taxes and will not violate traffic rules. Greeting people on the occasion of Askhaya Tritiya and 12th century AD social reformer Basaveshwara's birth anniversary, the Home Minister called upon youths to follow the sayings (Vachana). Basaveshwara has a large following in Karnataka, especially in the north Karnataka region, parts of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra, who form the dominant Lingayat community, to which Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and his predecessor B S Yediyurappa belong. He also recalled the contribution of Rashtrakuta king Amoghavarsha Nrupathunga in the areas of art, literature and culture, in whose name the Nrupathunga university was set up. PTI