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New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrates Diwali with soldiers and jawans from the Border Security Force (BSF) in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, following his customary tradition for the seventh year in a row. The program at Longewala, originally a BSF post and a strategic point en route to capture large swathes of land and also a pivotal theater of war to engage India on the Western Front during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971.
Here are the highlights of PM Modi’s speech
- I greet you all. If you are all there, then the nation is there, its citizens are safe and therefore the festivals take place. Thank you all on behalf of all Indian citizens.
- I bring their good wishes, blessings, and gratitude and bring them to you in person. As the nation celebrates Diwali today, you are all here protecting the nation. This sense of duty, this sacrifice, deserves praise. Not just you, the sacrifice of your families also deserves praise. All Indians thank them.
- Some may wonder why Modi ji goes out to meet soldiers year after year at Diwali. But tell me one thing, Diwali is a festival that we celebrate as a family, and with them we call our own … so every year I spend time with all of you because you are all mine, my family. I’m bringing candy for all of you today. But it’s not just about me. It is all 130 Indian crores.
