No Indian can forget the 2019 terror attacks in Pulwama, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today as he remembered the 40 soldiers who died in the suicide bombing in Jammu and Kashmir exactly two years ago. The bravery shown by the soldiers will continue to inspire generations, he said.
"No Indian can forget this day. Two years ago Pulwama happened. We pay homage to all martyrs we lost. We are proud of security forces and their bravery will inspire generations," PM Modi said during a visit in Tamil Nadu's state capital Chennai, where he handed over the indigenously developed Arjun Main Battle Tank (Mark 1A) to Army Chief General MM Naravane.
The Prime Minister was speaking after inauguration and foundation stone laying ceremony of several key projects in Chennai.
Quoting Tamil writer and poet Subramania Bharati, PM Modi said: "Let us make weapons, let us make paper, let us make factories, let us make schools, let us make vehicles, let us make ships."
Inspired by Subramania Bharati's vision, India has undertaken a massive effort to become self-reliant in the defence sector, the Prime Minister said.
"One of the two defence corridors is located in Tamil Nadu. It has already received an investment commitment of over Rs 8,100 crores. Today, I am proud to dedicate to the nation one more warrior to protect our frontiers. I am proud to hand over the indigenously designed and manufactured Arjun Main Battle Tank (MK-1A)," he said.
The Prime Minister said that the government will continue working to make our armed forces one of the most modern forces in the world.
"We will continue working to make our armed forces one of the most modern forces in the world. At the same time, the focus on making India self-reliant in the defence sector moves with full speed," he said.
"Our armed forces significantly show India's ethos of courage. They have shown time and again shown they are fulling capable of protecting our motherland and India''s belief in peace. But India will protect its sovereignty at all costs," he added.
On February 14, 2019, a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) suicide bomber rammed a car filled with explosives into a Central Reserve Police Force (CPRF) convoy travelling from Jammu to Srinagar, near Pulwama.
Over 40 of some 2,500 CRPF personnel travelling in the convoy of 78 buses were killed in the deadliest terror attack targeting troops.
Days after the attack, the Indian Air Force on February 26 carried out multiple strikes at a Jaish terror training camp in Pakistan's Balakot.
PM Modi, who arrived in Chennai this morning, will launch various government programmes in Tamil Nadu, where assembly election will be held this year.
Shortly after his arrival in the southern state, PM Modi launched a 9-km-long stretch of the Chennai Metro Rail, along with two other railway projects and laid the foundation stone of a new Discovery Campus of IIT, Madras that is expected to cost ₹ 1,000 crore. Later, he will lay the foundation stone for the renovation and modernisation of the grand Anaicut Canal.
Tamil Nadu will go to polls later this year and on January 30, BJP chief JP Nadda had announced that the party will fight the state election in alliance with the ruling AIADMK. In the 2019 general election the BJP-AIADMK alliance had managed to win just one seat.
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