Pakistan told about surgical strikes before media: PM

LONDON: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that Pakistan was told about the 2016 surgical strikes before it was announced it to the media.
“I said before India gets to know, we should call Pakistan and tell them what we did so they can come and collect the bodies. We kept calling them since 11 am but they were scared to come on phone. At 12, we spoke to them and then told the media about it,” the PM said during the ‘Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath’ programme at the Central Hall Westminster here.

In a warning to Pakistan, PM Modi asserted that India will not tolerate those who like to export terror and will give back “strong answers”.

He said when “someone has put a terror export factory in place and makes attempts to attack us from the back, Modi knows how to answer in the same language”.

Answering a question on the surgical strikes from a member of the audience who had speech disability, the prime minister said: “Those who like exporting terror, I want to tell them that India has changed and their antics will not be tolerated.

Asserting that sexual assault is a matter of shame for the nation, the prime minister said rape is rape and should not be politicised.

“Rape is rape ... How can we accept this?” Modi said through a translator at a diaspora event, adding that people needed to ask more questions of the perpetrators. “This is a matter of great concern for the country and these sinners are somebody’s sons... The rape of a (daughter) is a matter of worry, a shame for the country.”