Jammu/Nov, 4 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday praised the soldiers serving in border areas, pointing that they were the “suraksha kawach” (armour) of the nation, as he met army personnel in Jammu and Kashmir on the occasion of Diwali, keeping up with his practice of spending the festival with Army personnel.
“Our soldiers are the “suraksha kawach” of “Maa Bharti”. It is because of you all that people of our country can sleep peacefully and there is happiness during festivals,” the Prime Minister said while addressing the soldiers at Nowshera.
This is the second time PM Modi is celebrating Diwali with troops in the district. Ahead of PM Modi’s visit, Army Chief General MM Naravane arrived in Jammu yesterday and visited forward areas to assess the security situation.
The twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri have witnessed a spurt in violence and 11 soldiers have been killed over the last three weeks.The army has been engaged in one of the longest anti-militancy operations in Poonch-Rajouri forests area in the last 24 days. Nine soldiers have lost their lives in the operation but so far, there is no success against militants hiding in the region.
In 2019, the Prime Minister celebrated Diwali at an Army division in Rajouri, and this time he is celebrating the festival with soldiers in Nowshera, which is close to the LoC.
