Modi, in address, chides Pakistan and urges Indian unity
The Indian PM went aggressively further in a diatribe against Pakistan.
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took aim at what he called supporters of “terrorism” in his Independence Day speech on Monday, ratcheting up criticism of Pakistan while avoiding direct mention of month-long protests in Indian-held Kashmir.
Modi also pitched a vision of national unity and progress in his third annual address from the ramparts of the Red Fort in Delhi that, at 94 minutes, was the longest delivered by the 65-year-old leader.
Yet it was a broadside against Pakistan that left the strongest impression in a speech that otherwise skirted foreign affairs and focused on his government’s own achievements.
“What kind of life is this, inspired by terrorism? What kind of government setup is it that is inspired by terrorism?” asked Modi, who delivered the open-air address amid a security lockdown in the Indian capital.
“The world will know about it and that’s sufficient for me.”
The Indian PM went aggressively further in a diatribe against Pakistan.
Modi in his Monday address asserted that people of Balochistan, Gilgit and Kashmir have thanked him a lot in past few days and he is grateful to them.
Modi also said that Indians "also cried" when children in Peshawar were killed in the APS attack in December 2014.
"This is our nature, but look at the other side. They glorify terrorists," Modi accused.
