AIADMK top guns hail PM as "Narasimha avtar" for airstrikes

Narendra Modi has taken the "Narasimha avatar", Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said Friday, likening him to the incarnation of Lord Vishnu as he and chief minister K Palaniswami showered praise on the Prime Minister for 'decimating' terrorists in Pakistan in air strikes.

Panneerselvam said Modi did not buckle under the threat of terrorism and instead had taken the "Narasimha avatar", a reference to Hindu faith in which Lord Vishnu takes the ferocious incarnation in the form of human body with the head of a lion to destroy demon king Hiranyakasibu.

"Without buckling under the threat of terrorism of the neighbouring country, Modi took Narasimha avatar and decimated hundreds of terrorists which the world lauded," he said at a function here where the Prime Minister dedicated to the nation various highway and railway projects in Tamil Nadu.

He was referring to India's February 26 pre-dawn air strikes on a terror camp in Pakistan days after the killing of 40 CRPF jawans by a Jaish-e-Mohammed suicide bomber in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Deputy Chief Minister praised Modi for his "strong and steadfast leadership," in battling external threats in a bold and decisive manner without a wink of sleep.

Such resolute steps were a warning signal to countries that supported terrorism, he noted.

Speaking after his deputy, Palaniswami hailed Modi for bold and decisive measures to root out terrorism.

"On behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu, I thank the Prime Minister for the bold and decisive measures to root out terrorism, which is threatening the world and the successful air strike to decimate the terrorist camps."