Won't spare those who fund terrorists: Modi's Dussehra message to Pak

Lucknow: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday took aim at Pakistan at Dussehra celebrations in Lucknow and said that India 'will not spare those who provide sanctuary to terrorists and fund terror activities'.

"Terrorism is the enemy of humanity. If the country stands united, we can defeat the face of terror," Modi said, urging everybody to speak in one voice against terrorism.

Making terrorism the centrepoint of his over 20-minute speech, he said terror was the worst enemy of humanity and called upon the world community to speak in one voice against the menace to put an end to it.

"Terrorism does not have any boundaries. It is bound to destroy all...a need has arisen to root out those who spread terrorism. Those who help terrorists and provide shelter to them can no longer be spared," he said in an obvious reference to Pakistan without taking its name.

"Terrorism is against humanity. The entire world is being destroyed...if you think that we are insulated against terrorism, then we are wrong. It is a virus affecting our societies. All forces across the world have to talk in one voice and end it. It will not be possible to save humanity without eradicating terrorism," the Prime Minister said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi being presented a mace as he is welcomed during Dussehra celebrations at Aishbagh Ram Leela in Lucknow. (Photo: PTI)

Modi became the first Prime Minister to attend a Ramlila event outside Delhi and his participation at the Aishbagh celebrations assumes significance in the context of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh early next year. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh was also present at the event.

“Dussehra is a celebration of truth of falsities and the victory of good over evil, we burn Raavan every year, but what is the lesson that needs to be learnt from this? When we burn Raavan, we must learn that even we should burn any evil that exists within us or in the society,” Modi said during his speech.

Rajnath Singh spoke before the Modi and thanked him for proving to the world that India is not a ‘weak’ country. He lauded Modi for ‘proving India’s strength’ to the world with the recent surgical strikes carried out by the Army across the LoC.

Earlier on Tuesday, at a Ram Leela event in Lucknow, Singh had said that “We have proved our strength in last few days and have given a message to the world that India is a strong nation.”

"Hum maante hai ke hum kisi ko chedenge nahi, par agar humko koi chedega to hum usko chodenge nahi (We will never provoke anyone, but if someone provokes us we will not spare them)," he said.

Singh had reached Lucknow on Monday evening ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the historic Ram Leela in Aishbagh of the old city on Dussehra on Tuesday.

UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had received Modi at the airport, but did not attend the programme.