Terror like serpent; will drag it out of hole, trample if it raises hood again: PM Modi at Bihar rally

Karakat (Bihar): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday likened terror to a serpent, saying, "if it raises its hood again, it will be dragged out of its hole and trampled", and asserted that the Indian armed forces have reduced to rubble the hideouts of those who had masterminded the Pahalgam attack, sitting in Pakistan.

Addressing a rally in Bihar's Karakat, around 140 km from the state capital, the Prime Minister said Operation Sindoor was "just an arrow in the quiver" of India and reiterated that the fight against terror was "neither over, nor has it come to a halt".

Recalling his rally in Madhubani district last month, he said, "I had come to Bihar a day after the dastardly attack in Pahalgam, where many of our sisters had lost their husbands. I had promised that the perpetrators would get a punishment that they could not even dream of. Today, I am back in Bihar, after having delivered on the promise." "The power of sindoor (vermilion) worn by India's daughters was witnessed by Pakistan and the entire world. Terrorists used to feel secure under the protection of the Pakistani army. But we brought them to their knees. We also destroyed Pakistan's airbases and their military establishments. This is new India (Naya Bharat), and its power is there for all to behold," the Prime Minister said.

The enemy must realise that Operation Sindoor was "just an arrow in our quiver. The war on terror is neither over nor has it come to a halt", he asserted.

"If terror tries to raise its hood again, it will be dragged out of its hole and trampled," he added.

The PM's averment assumes significance in the backdrop of criticism from some opposition parties that the government agreed to a "ceasefire" under pressure from the Donald Trump administration in the US.

In his speech, Modi also made a mention of BSF sub-inspector Mohammed Imtiaz, a resident of Saran district, who died fighting for the country in Jammu and Kashmir, and likened his sacrifice to the valour of Veer Kunwar Singh, the legendary king of Jagdishpur in Bihar who is considered one of the heroes of the Revolt of 1857.

Hailing the Border Security Force, the PM remarked, "Service to Ma Bharti has been supreme for BSF jawans".

Speaking at the rally, which was being held in a region that was once a hotbed of Naxal movement, Modi said, "our fight is against all enemies of the nation, be they across the borders or deep within. The people of Bihar have been a witness to our drive against those who spread violence and unrest".

"There were times when people were scared of coming out on the streets as they never knew when and where they would run into naxals wearing facemasks and toting guns. Naxal-affected villages had no hospitals or mobile towers.

"Schools used to be set on fire, and those involved in road construction got murdered. These people had no faith in Baba Saheb Ambedkar's Constitution," Modi said.

After coming to power in 2014, the NDA government started addressing the malaise and Maoists being taken to task, Modi claimed.

The number of districts affected by Naxal violence has come down from 125 to only 18, he said.

"The government is constructing roads and creating jobs. The day is not far when Maoism will be rooted out and peace, prosperity, security and education will reach every village," he said.

Modi also spoke about the steps taken by his government for the development of Bihar, where new airports were coming up and existing ones were getting a facelift.

Indirectly referring to the RJD, the BJP's principal rival in the state, the PM said, "those whose rule was responsible for large-scale migration, are now faking social justice to grab power." "For decades, people had no access to toilets, nor did they have bank accounts. Crores of people did not have pucca houses. Was this the social justice that the RJD and its ally Congress speak of?" asked Modi.

He alleged that the Congress and the RJD never cared for the sufferings of the people of Bihar.

"They used to arrange tours for foreigners who were interested in seeing the poverty here. Now, when they have lost the trust of Dalits and backward classes because of their own sins, they are trying to play the social justice card," the PM claimed.

Modi also underscored that Bihar, where assembly polls are due in a few months, "witnessed a new dawn of social justice after the NDA came to power in the state".

"We have provided basic necessities to the people. We continue to strive and ensure that benefits reach 100 per cent of the intended beneficiaries," he added.

Earlier in the day, Modi launched development projects worth more than Rs 48,520 crore in Karakat.