Modi govt surgical strikes meant to boost forces' morale: Shah

BJP president Amit Shah today said the NDA government undertook surgical strikes in times of threat to keep up the morale of the defence forces.
On the possibility of holding simultaneous elections in the country, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has raised the idea before all parties and since it was a major election reform, the BJP alone could not take a decision on it.
Shah, while speaking at a BJP booth-level workers meeting at Pedda Devulapalli village in Nalgonda district, said, "On one hand, the Narendra Modi government is taking up development works. At the same time, whenever there is a threat, (it) takes up surgical strikes and keeps up the morale of the armed forces of our country."

His remarks came after the Indian Army's today said that it launched "punitive fire assaults" on Pakistani positions across the Line of Control, inflicting "some damage", days after two of its troopers were beheaded.
The Army also released a video of the military action which showed some structures in a forested area crumbling in a heap under the impact of repeated shelling.
Shah asserted that Telangana should become a gateway for forming BJP governments in all the southern states.

He is on a three-day visit to Telangana to strengthen the party from grassroot level. The visit concludes tomorrow.
While talking to reporters in Nalgonda town later, the BJP chief said the Modi-led dispensation at the Centre, which will complete three years in office soon, has given a corruption-free government to the country.

"The rapid growth in economy, distribution of gas cylinders to the poor, massive rural electrification, fight against corruption through demonetisation, steps against benami properties and shell companies, crop insurance scheme for farmers are some of the major achievements of the Modi government," he said.
When asked about the likelihood of implementation of "one nation, one election", he said it was a major poll reform and that BJP alone could not decide on it.
"All parties should come forward. But, the prime minister has put the idea before all parties," he said.
Shah claimed that his party has emerged as a strong alternative in Telangana.

"The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today stands before the people of Telangana as a strong political party and as a strong alternative," he said on the second day of his visit.
Shah, who visited some households and interacted with a cross section of people in Nalgonda district, claimed that he received a great response from the people.
The BJP would like to increase its strength at every polling booth in Telangana and the party workers voiced the failures of state government in the last two years, he said.
Telangana state has been sanctioned funds and schemes to the tune of Rs one lakh crore by the NDA government since it assumed office, he said.

Shah alleged that the TRS government, however, has been unsuccessful in implementing various central schemes like housing for poor, MGNREGA and soil health cards.
When asked about the Muslim reservation Bill that was passed by the Telangana Assembly, Shah said the BJP was against quotas on the basis of religion.
The Telangana Legislature last month passed a bill, which increases the reservations for Scheduled Tribes and backward sections among the Muslim community in government jobs and educational institutions.
Replying to a question over whether the BJP would go for a tie-up with the TDP in the next general elections, Shah did not give a direct reply, saying "as of now both the parties are in alliance".

The BJP chief visited Velugupalli village in the district and unveiled a statue of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya in a SC residential locality. Later, he visited some houses in Chinamadaram village and distributed gas connections to some women under 'Ujwal Yojana' scheme.