Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hit out at the opposition over terrorism and national security, saying they deny these affect people and that they aren’t issues to be discussed.

The Prime Minister started his speech in Maithili, the local dialect spoken in the area, in Bihar’s Darbhanga as he picked on the opposition’s attack over India’s airstrike in Pakistan’s Balakot in February this year.

“They question why does Modi talk about terrorism. They say it is not an issue. You tell me — aren’t national security and terrorism issues? They do not have an understanding that you have. More than 350 people were killed in an attack in Sri Lanka. Isn’t this an issue?” he questioned.

“After three phases of voting on 300 seats, those seeking evidence of India’s airstrikes, have vanished. They are now abusing Modi and the EVMs. These people, who have been cut off from the grassroots, have not been able to sense the mood of the nation,” he said.

The Prime Minister said that it is the poor who have been affected the most by terrorism.

“Everyone lived a normal life 40 years ago. But the money that should be used for the poor and used for building schools and hospitals are being now being used to buy bomb and guns,” he said.

He also cited the example of security force personnel, who he said, don’t get to sleep for hours and if something happens they are blamed.

“It’s important to end terrorism… This is a ‘New India’ and, we will strike at the heart of terrorism and decimate them,” he said.

Modi also referred to the terror modules busted in Darbhanga over the years and said the people in the region have been affected by terrorism.

“Aap ka yeh chowkidar chowkanna hai. Na koi module rahega na hi koi militant bachega (Your security guard is alert. All modules will be busted and all militants will be caught),” he said.

In Darbhanga, Abdul Bari Siddiqui of the RJD and BJP’s Gopalji Thakur are pitted against each other as they face the issues of caste and nationalism from the Lok Sabha seat. Polling will be held on April 29 in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha election 2019.

First Published: Apr 25, 2019 12:27 IST