Terrorism in Any Form Against Humanity: Modi

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that terrorism anywhere in the world and any form is against humanity and conflicts do not benefit anyone.

Addressing the inaugural session of the ninth G20 parliamentary speakers' summit (P20) at Yashobhoomi in the national capital, the Prime Minister asserted that this is a time for peace and brotherhood, as a divided world cannot provide solutions to big global challenges.

Referring to the interconnected nature of the world, the Prime Minister said that a world full of conflict and confrontation is in no one’s interest. “A divided world cannot provide solutions to the major challenges facing humanity. This is the time of peace and brotherhood, a time to move together. This is a time for growth and well-being for all. We have to overcome the global trust crisis and move forward with human-centric thinking. We have to look at the world in the spirit of 'One Earth, One Family, One Future',” he said.

Calling for a tough approach in dealing with terrorism, the Prime Minister highlighted the cross-border terrorism faced by India for decades, killing thousands of innocent people. The Prime Minister recalled the terrorist attack on Parliament about 20 years ago, when it was in session. “India has reached here today after dealing with many such terrorist incidents,” he emphasised.

Talking about next year’s Lok Sabha elections, Modi informed the delegation that “1 billion” people will participate in the general elections next year. The Prime Minister invited the delegates to witness the elections and said that electronic voting machines (EVM) have brought transparency and efficiency to the election process as election results come within hours of the start of counting.

The Prime Minister also informed the delegates about the recent law on granting one-third reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies. “Out of more than 30 lakh elected representatives in the local self-government institutions, almost 50 per cent are women. India today is promoting women’s participation in every sector. The recent decision taken by our Parliament (on women’s reservation) will further enrich our parliamentary tradition,” he said.