Pakistan cannot weaken India, forces will get free hand to deal with terrorists: Modi

Pakistan cannot weaken India by orchestrating attacks and those responsible will pay a "very heavy price", Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned on Friday as echoes from the Pulwama terror strike rang across the country with families awaiting the bodies of their loved ones in coffins wrapped in the tricolour.

Security forces will be given a free hand to deal with terrorists, the prime minister said, a day after 40 CRPF soldiers were killed when a suicide bomber rammed a vehicle laden with explosives into their bus in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district.

The Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility for the attack on the convoy of 78 vehicles that was on its way from Jammu to Srinagar.

All efforts would be made to isolate Pakistan, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said.

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale summoned Pakistan High Commissioner to India Sohail Mahmood and lodged India's strong protest, official sources said.

Making it clear that India means business, the Cabinet Committee on Security, which met on Friday morning, decided to withdraw Most Favoured Nation status to Pakistan.

It would enable India to increase customs duty on goods coming from the neighbouring country.

India granted MFN status to Pakistan way back in in 1996, but it has not yet reciprocated.

In a hard-hitting speech at the launch of the Vande Bharat train 18 here, Modi said the "blood of the people is boiling" and forces behind the act of terrorism will definitely be punished.

"Security forces have been given complete freedom, the blood of the people is boiling...Our neighbouring country, which has been isolated internationally, thinks such terror attacks can destabilise us, but their plans will not materialise," Modi said.

Addressing a public meeting in Jhansi later in the day, the prime minister again did not name Pakistan but said the attack was an outcome of its desperation as it is in a bad shape and has been forced to go to different countries with a "begging bowl" to meet even its daily expenses.

Asserting that the sacrifices of CRPF soldiers will "not go in vain", he said, "Security forces have been given permission to take decisions about the timing, place and nature of their response... This is an India of new convention and policy."