Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged Indians to buy domestic products, taking a dig at foreign goods by citing the example of “small-eyed Ganesh idols” imported from abroad.
Speaking at an event in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, PM Modi said that while the strength of the armed forces launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, it is now time for the people to strengthen the movement for a self-reliant India.
“When I speak of the strength of our armed forces and the people’s strength, I mean that every citizen should become a partner in the nation’s development. If we all contribute to building a Viksit Bharat by 2047 and help take our economy from the fourth to the third position globally, we will not rely on foreign products,” he said.
PM Modi called on traders to pledge that no matter how much profit they make, they will not sell foreign goods.
“But unfortunately, even Ganesh idols come from abroad, small-eyed Ganesh idols whose eyes don’t even open properly. Even the colours for Holi come from outside,” he said.
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He also encouraged people to make a list of items they have at home to realise how many foreign products they use.
Terrorism is Pakistan’s war strategy: PM Modi
PM Modi said the terrorism practiced by Pakistan is not a proxy war but a deliberate war strategy. “We can’t call this a proxy war as those who were killed on May 6 night were given state honours in Pakistan. Pakistani flags were draped over their coffins, and their military saluted them. This proves that these terrorist activities are not just a proxy war but a deliberate war strategy. If they engage in war, the response will be accordingly,” he said.
Indian armed forces said that over 100 terrorists were killed during the operation, including the hijacker of IC-814 and a terrorist involved in the 2019 Pulwama attack.
Operation Sindoor: India’s counterterror strike
‘Operation Sindoor’, launched in the early hours of May 7, was a counterterror strike by Indian armed forces on nine terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. It was in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people, mostly tourists.
