Narendra Modi questions Congress scepticism after 2016 surgical strikes, accuses party of misusing 26/11 for political gains

Bhilwada: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that India will never forget the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and their perpetrators and was "waiting for the appropriate time" as law would take its course.

"India will never forget the 26/11 attack, and neither forget the perpetrators. We are waiting for the appropriate time...." he said with a pause without elaborating as the crowd cheered him when he was addressing an election meeting in Bhilwada. "The law will take its course. I want to assure the country," he said.

Slamming Congress for doing politics over the 26/11 terror attacks in 2008, Modi said, "Today is 26 November, when there was a madam's rule in Delhi through remote control, when there was a  Congress government in Maharashtra. There were Congress governments at the Centre and in Maharashtra and 26/11 terror attacks happened in Mumbai... terrorists killed people and the security forces of our country."

"It is 10 years since that attack. I can still remember when the terror attacks happened in Mumbai, election campaign was going on in Rajasthan." Modi said that the Congress leaders then used to accuse the leaders of other parties of doing politics when they condemned the attacks.

"What they (Congress leaders) said then, I still remember. They said it is a war, Pakistan has attacked India. And these people are doing politics. At this time one needs to strengthen the hands of the Centre and there should be no politics on the terror attacks. They used to preach this," he said.

The prime minister accused the Congress of attempting to use the 26/11 Mumbai attack to win elections in Rajasthan and attacked the party for questioning the 2016 surgical strike carried out by the Indian Armed forces across the border.

"I want to ask the Congress that 10 years ago such a big terror attack happened, the whole world was shocked, and Congress was playing tricks to win the elections based on the calamity," he said.

"The same Congress at that time used to preach patriotism. And when our country's forces did surgical strike in Pakistan, when they took revenge, showed their valour and gave a befitting reply to the enemies in their home, in such a crucial time, Congress asked for showing the video of the surgical strike," he said. "Will the armed forces take cameras in their hand during such operations? At that time they did not remember patriotism," he said.

Modi also said that during his four years of rule, terror attacks have been restricted to Jammu and Kashmir. "Remember those times when terror attacks took place across the country. We have fought against terrorism in such a way that they are unable to move out of Kashmir as they see their death," he said.

The elections for the 200-Assembly seats in Rajasthan are scheduled for 7 December. Counting of votes will take place on 11 December.