India will not forget Uri attack, will isolate Pak: PM Modi in Kerala

Thousands of people thronged Kozhikode beach-the venue of BJP national council meet-on Saturday evening to get a glimpse of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

All eyes were on Modi, as he walked up to the dais at around 5pm and took his seat, with a lotus in his hand. 

Modi's address was a much-awaited one, particularly because this was the first time after Uri attack that the Prime Minister was speaking at a public event. 

In the first public speech after the terrorist attack on military camp in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir, Modi said that "India is ready to retaliate." 

Modi was addressing a gathering at Kozhikode beach as part of the three-day BJP national council meeting that began on Friday. He began the address in Malayalam, before switching completely to Hindi. 

“India will not forget Uri attack and will retaliate, we will isolate Pakistan. The terrorists killed 18 of our brave soldiers,” Modi said.

BJP state President Kummanam Rajasekharan welcomes Prime Minister Narendra Modi/PTI

Though the Prime Minister condemned an ‘Asian’ country manufacturing terror, he stopped short of mentioning Pakistan by name until half an hour into the speech.

Condemning the Uri attack, Modi said that the terrorists infiltrated into India with the help of “this country” and that the Indian army had prevented as many as 17 infiltration attempts in the last six months.

“This country” is the only Asian country that is trying to prevent Asia from becoming the next super power, Modi said.

He added that in any terrorist activity that occurs in any part of the world, this country's name seems to be involved. 

The Prime Minister then went on to say that India has never bowed down to Pakistan and its terrorist activities.

"We are ready for war with Pakistan. If you have guts, I challenge you to take part in this war. A war that will put an end to poverty, unemployment and infant mortality rate. I challenge you for this war, let us see who wins in the war of eradicating these from our countries," Modi declared. 

In an unusual move, Modi addressed the people of Pakistan in his speech.

“I wish to speak to the people of Pakistan, whose ancestors were part of the undivided India. Before 1947, this was your land,” he began.

Exerting the people of Pakistan to question their government about its inability to control Pakistan occupied Kashmir, Modi said, 

“You should ask your government why it has not been able to govern the country properly. Has it been controlling POK effectively? Bangladesh was also part of your country once. Were you able to control it? Or for that matter, Balochistan?”

"Pakistan and India attained freedom at the same time. While India is exporting manpower and making advancements in the field of IT, Pakistan is exporting terrorists," he said.

Modi then urged the people of Pakistan to question their government on these issues and said, “The day when the people of Pakistan will fight terrorism that their own country creates…that day is not distant anymore.”