PM dedicates Diwali to armed forces

TT, New Delhi, Oct 30 (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday saluted the valour of the armed forces and lauded their sacrifice, dedicating the festival of Diwali to them. 

"Our soldiers have been sacrificing their everything for the safety and security of the country. Their dedication and labour has overwhelmed me completely. Let us dedicate this Diwali to our armed forces," he said in his monthly “Mann ki Baat” programme on All India Radio.

He urged all citizens and state governments to find ways of forging unity across the country and working to defeat separatist tendencies and mentalities. 

“Unity in diversity is our strength. It is the responsibility of every citizen and all governments to forge unity and curb separatist tendencies to save the country,” he said. 

He also thanked people for responding to his request to send messages to the soldiers in his Sandesh2Soldiers campaign.

”I have been humbled by the response. From students, villagers and traders to political leaders and sports persons , everyone has sent a Diwali message for our soldiers,” he said. 

As Modi paid tributes to Sardar Patel whose birth anniversary falls tomorrow, he also remembered Indira Gandhi whose death anniversary also falls on the same day. He, however, lamented that on a day India celebrates the birth anniversary of Patel, thousands of Sikhs were killed in 1984 in the wake of the assassination of Indira