Acting on the instruction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Indian Air Force (IAF) blew terrorists in Pakistan into pieces on "Terahvin" (13th day) of the Indian troopers dying in terror attack in Pulwama, said BJP President Amit Shah on Tuesday.

Addressing an election rally in support of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Khajuraho parliamentary constituency, V.D. Sharma, Shah said: "The country doesn't have a government led by 'Mauni Baba' (an oblique reference to Manmohan Singh) anymore.

"During the UPA rule, the head of soldier Hemraj was chopped off (by Pakistanis) and insulted, but Mauni Baba didn't utter even a word to express his pain."

Referring to the airstrikes, the BJP chief said that after Pulwama attack, as the Pakistani forces planted landmines and deployed tanks across the border to prevent another "surgical strike" by India, the Prime Minister ordered airstrikes which took Pakistan unawares.

"On the instruction of Prime Minister with 56-inch chest, on 'Terahvin' of martyrdom of Indian troopers, IAF struck at Balakot and reduced the terror camps to ashes...blew the terrorists into pieces."

"Terahvin" is a ceremony that marks the final day of mourning after someone's death by a section of Indian Hindus and also sometimes Sikhs.

He said that while there was jubilation across the nation over airstrikes and people were garlanding the photographs of the Indian martyrs, gloom prevailed at two places: one in Pakistan, which was quite natural, and the second in the Congress camp as the leaders including party chief Rahul Gandhi did know how to react.

"If terrorists don't mend their ways, if bullet comes from across the border, it will be retaliated appropriately," Shah added.

Polling will take place in Khajuraho in the fifth phase of 2019 general elections on May 6, and the counting of votes will take place on May 23.

--IANS

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