Terror factories in neighbourhood waiting for weak govt: PM

Terming terrorism the biggest threat facing India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said terror factories running in the neighbourhood are waiting for a weak government here.

This is a new India which will strike terrorists in their den, within the border and outside it, he said at an election rally in Gosaiganj, about 25 km from the temple town of Ayodhya, in which he focused much of his attention on terrorism.

Gosaiganj is in the same district as Ayodhya but falls in the Ambedkarnagar Lok Sabha constituency.

Recalling the Easter Day blasts across Sri Lanka, he said, "We saw what happened in Sri Lanka. The same situation prevailed in our country before 2014. Can we forget the blast in Ayodhya? There were terrorist attacks on a daily basis."
Cautioning people against terrorism, the prime minister referred to the oft seen signboards on roads, 'Savdhani hati, Durghatna ghati (If we lower our guard, there will be a tragedy), and declared, "The game of terrorism is also the same."
Attacking the opposition alliance in UP, he said, "Last elections the SP and the BSP were political foes, today they have become friends."
Seeking to strike an emotional chord with the voters, Modi said, "No chaiwala, cart puller or vegetable vendor wants his ward to take up his profession. Our government in the past five years worked to make their life better and easy."
Highlighting schemes like Ayushman Bharat and pension for the poor, Modi said, "Our government is concerned for the poor. I have realised the pain of the poor, understood their hardships and felt the trouble."
Stating that the soul of country was its cultural heritage and faith, the PM referred to International Yoga Day and the Kumbh Mela and said, "We have tried to propagate our culture in other countries also."