Best way to celebrate 'surgical strike day' is for PM to visit slain BSF jawan's family: Kejriwal

The "best way" to celebrate 'surgical strike day' would be for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the family of a BSF soldier who was tortured and killed by Pakistani troops this week, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said Friday.

He also announced that his government will amend a rule on giving ex gratia of Rs 1 crore to martyred security personnel to include those who have settled in the national capital after joining the services.

The chief minister took to Twitter to respond to a UGC communication to universities to observe September 29 as "surgical strike day". The UGC on Thursday asked varsities and higher educational institutions across the country to observe September 29 as "surgical strike day", triggering a political row.

"The best way to celebrate surgical strike day wud be for the PM to visit the family of Sh Narendra Singh, who was tortured and slain by Pak this week (sic)," he tweeted.

Earlier in the day, he visited Haryana's Sonipat to meet the family of BSF jawan Narender Singh, who was killed by Pakistani troopers along the international border (IB) near Jammu.

The chief minister also demanded that the prime minister assure the nation that Pakistan would be given a befitting reply.

On the Delhi government's policy of giving ex gratia of Rs one crore and a job to the next of kin of martyrs whose permanent address was in Delhi at the time of joining service, Kejriwal said, "We are holding a meeting of the Delhi cabinet on Tuesday in which we are going to change this rule."
In a jibe at the prime minister for his surprise visit to Pakistan nearly three years back, Kejriwal said, "If writing love letters won't do, will cutting cake on their (the then PM Nawaz Sharif) birthday help. After all, for how long will our soldiers tolerate this. This is not acceptable to the country. We want action, we don't want speeches."