PM Narendra Modi recalls surgical strikes, says India’s zero-tolerance approach to terrorism clear

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday used the 138th episode of his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat to recall the 10th anniversary of the 2016 surgical strikes, saying India has repeatedly demonstrated that terrorism will receive a “befitting response”.

With the anniversary of the September 28-29, 2016 operation falling on Monday and Tuesday, Modi said the strikes had marked a decisive response to the suffering caused by terrorist attacks over the years. He said the operation had presented a new example of India’s counter-terrorism policy to the world.

The Prime Minister placed the surgical strikes alongside the 2019 Balakot air strikes and the 2025 Operation Sindoor, saying India had repeatedly sent the same message over the past decade.

Surgical strikes recalled a decade later

The 2016 operation followed the September 18 Uri terror attack, in which 19 soldiers were killed at an Army base. Indian Army personnel, including commandos from Para (Special Forces) units deployed in Jammu and Kashmir, crossed the Line of Control and struck multiple targets identified as terrorist launch pads used for infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir.

Modi said the operation demonstrated that if terrorists “dare to cast an evil eye on India”, they would face a strong response.

He also recalled earlier terror attacks, including the serial blasts in Delhi on September 13, 2008, and the 26/11 Mumbai attacks later that year, saying many innocent people had lost their lives.

Modi linked the discussion to the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. He said Indians constituted the largest group of foreign victims after Americans and recalled visiting the World Trade Centre memorial during his first visit to the US as prime minister in 2014.

The Prime Minister also contrasted the response to terrorism in the past with the approach of the last decade, saying there was a time when demands for action against Pakistan followed every terror attack but were often not given sufficient attention.

Although he did not name any political party, the remarks were seen as referring to the Congress-led governments before the BJP returned to power in 2014. The Congress had previously sought greater public evidence of the 2016 surgical strikes, a demand the BJP rejected.

Census records data from over 32 crore families

Modi also highlighted progress in the ongoing national census, describing the exercise as a national responsibility.

He said the first phase was almost complete across all states and Union territories, with information from more than 32 crore families recorded. Census work was continuing in difficult and high-altitude areas of Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand.

More than 2.6 crore people have already used the self-enumeration facility through the census portal, Modi said. The online process is available in Hindi and 16 other languages and takes around 15 to 20 minutes, without requiring users to upload documents.

Citizens can log in using their mobile numbers, enter their location and family details, and submit the information online. They receive a special ID that can subsequently be shared with the enumerator visiting their home, after which the information is verified.

PM Modi recalls Ashok Singhal and Somnath’s history

The Prime Minister paid tribute to former Vishwa Hindu Parishad international working president Ashok Singhal on his 100th birth anniversary.

Singhal was born in Agra on September 27, 1926. Modi described him as someone who dedicated his life to culture, society and the nation and credited him with providing direction and energy to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, which eventually culminated in the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Modi also returned to the “Somnath Swabhiman Parv”, which marked 1,000 years since Mahmud of Ghazni’s destruction of the Somnath temple in 1026.

He pointed out that the Modhera Sun Temple in Gujarat was also attacked in the same year. The temple had been built by King Bhimdev in 1025, a year before the attack, and Modi highlighted its subsequent reconstruction as an example of India’s resilience.

Anti-drug campaign and local enterprise highlighted

Ahead of the festive season, Modi appealed to people to engage with young people who may be moving towards harmful habits. He highlighted the Nasha Mukt Yuva Abhiyan, a 100-week anti-drug campaign involving volunteers associated with the MY Bharat platform and the National Service Scheme.

He also cited rural enterprise from Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh, where nearly 100 amla-processing units are operating under the One District One Product initiative.

Modi credited women's self-help groups, including the Savitri Phule and Vindhyavasini collectives, with helping increase incomes through the processing and marketing of amla products.

On nutrition, he referred to initiatives undertaken during September’s Poshan Maah, including Chhattisgarh’s “Har Ghar Munga” campaign promoting moringa and a millet-dish competition in Gujarat. He said nearly nine crore beneficiaries are now registered on the government’s Poshan Tracker platform.

Wildlife conservation and Gandhi Jayanti message

Modi also highlighted conservation efforts in Assam. He said elephants had returned to Sonai Rupai sanctuary after encroached land was cleared and cited a pygmy hog breeding programme under which the population had increased to more than 190 from an initial six.

The Prime Minister concluded the broadcast by urging citizens to mark Gandhi Jayanti on October 2 through cleanliness drives and thanking listeners for sharing stories and ideas.

He signed off by saying he would return with another edition of Mann Ki Baat the following month and ended with his customary “Namaskar”.