Prime Minister Narendra Modi바카라s visit to Bihar on April 24 and his statement on terrorism as a response to the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, sparked a political storm of allegations and counter-allegations. On April 24, during a National Panchayati Raj Day event held in Madhubani, Modi바카라s participation drew criticism from the opposition.
바카라The nation is in mourning, and you are holding a political rally in Bihar. Laughing and joking on stage바카라is this how you express grief? The unbearable pain of the victims바카라 families does not affect your stone-heartedness. We are ashamed of such a Prime Minister,바카라 wrote Purnia MP Pappu Yadav on social media platform X.
The last six minutes of PM Modi바카라s 29-minute speech have gone viral on social media, when he spoke strongly against terrorism in response to the recent attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir. He declared: 바카라Let me say this clearly, those who carried out this attack, and those who plotted it, will receive a punishment far beyond their imagination. It is time to wipe out even the remaining traces of terrorist influence.바카라
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) labelled the speech as politically motivated. RJD바카라s chief spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav criticised the Prime Minister for turning a national tragedy into a political opportunity. 바카라Instead of sharing the grief of the victims바카라 families, he chose to come to Bihar for electoral gains,바카라 Yadav says.
Yadav also objected to the PM바카라s anti-terror message being delivered from Bihar. 바카라What the Prime Minister said about terrorism should have been said from Delhi as soon as he returned from abroad, or even better, from the soil of Kashmir. He cancelled his Kanpur visit in Uttar Pradesh but not Bihar바카라 why? Clearly, he is politicising the issue here because Bihar is heading towards elections,바카라 he adds.
It바카라s worth noting that PM Modi was also scheduled to visit Kanpur on April 24 for the inauguration of the second phase of the metro and to address a public meeting, but that visit was cancelled.
Responding to the opposition바카라s criticism, Bihar BJP spokesperson Asit Nath Tiwari says: 바카라The event in Bihar was pre-scheduled and involved major developmental announcements. If the opposition is questioning why the PM spoke about terrorism from Bihar, that바카라s foolish. As soon as he landed from abroad, Modi held a meeting at the airport and took five major decisions바카라including suspending the Indus Water Treaty and shutting down the Attari check post and visas. Everything can바카라t be done from Delhi. He needed to assure the public directly, and that바카라s what he did.바카라
PM Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for various projects in Bihar worth around ₹13,500 crore, including ₹11,000 crore allocated for flood control. Funds were also announced for railways, gas infrastructure, housing, rural economy, and overall development.
However, more than these announcements, it바카라s Modi바카라s statement on terrorism which is being widely discussed. In his 29-minute speech, the first 23 minutes focused on development and Bihar government achievements. It was only in the last six minutes that he addressed the Pahalgam attack, which is being viewed differently by different political parties.
The PM, who spoke about the attack in Hindi, at the 27-minute mark, suddenly switched to English and addressed the world: 바카라Today, from the soil of Bihar, I say this to the whole world, India will identify, trace and punish every terrorist and their backers. We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth.바카라
The Prime Minister also thanked countries that expressed solidarity with India after the attack.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and several other state and central ministers were also present at the event. Nitish Kumar, in his address, repeatedly thanked PM Modi for the development projects and policies worth crores of rupees given to Bihar.
Senior journalist Pushyamitra, who closely follows Bihar politics, says that PM Modi바카라s remarks on terrorism from Bihar will inevitably be seen in an electoral context.
바카라Yes, the Bihar visit was scheduled, but it wasn바카라t predetermined that he would speak on terrorism. His anger and words were justified and necessary바카라 but why from Bihar? It had been two days since the Pahalgam attack. He should have addressed the issue from Delhi immediately or gone to Kashmir as Amit Shah did. If he couldn바카라t go, he should have at least met the victims바카라 families. Why give a message to Pakistan from Bihar, a land known for peace and non-violence, not war?바카라 he asks.
Pushyamitra believes it바카라s hard to deny that Modi바카라s anti-terror message in Bihar is part of a larger election strategy. He also noted a contrast in demeanour during the event while Nitish Kumar appeared relaxed and joking, Modi was serious. He sees this as reflective of their political narratives: nationalism and Hindutva have never been core election themes for Nitish, unlike for Modi and the BJP.
Meanwhile, political parties are now raising questions about the Pahalgam terrorist attack. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha바카라s General Secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya remarks: 바카라Such incidents no longer seem like coincidences but rather planned events. Whenever there바카라s a sensitive issue, such attacks tend to distract from them.바카라
RJD바카라s Shakti Singh Yadav echoed these concerns, saying, 바카라Questions will arise. During the Pulwama attack in 2019, elections were ongoing. Now, with the Pahalgam incident, Bihar elections are near. Why does our intelligence fail at such times?바카라
It바카라s worth recalling that during the Pulwama attack in February 2019, the opposition had similarly accused the Modi government of leveraging the tragedy for political gain ahead of elections, especially after the Indian Air Force바카라s retaliatory strikes in Pakistan.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP secured over 300 seats. Veteran journalist Vikas Kumar sees a similar situation unfolding in Bihar. He believes this is a golden opportunity for the BJP to contest alone in the state. He predicts tensions over seat sharing with JD(U) and suggests that the BJP may consider going solo if the alliance breaks down.
According to Kumar, if the government launches a military response바카라 like a surgical strike바카라within the next 15 to 30 days, public sentiment could heavily swing in BJP바카라s favour.
