Indian PM celebrates Diwali onboard warship with armed forces

Prime Minister Narendra Modi kept up his annual tradition of celebrating Diwali with the Indian armed forces and spent the festival of lights with the Navy personnel onboard INS Vikrant off the coast of Goa and Karwar (Karnataka) on Monday.

Addressing hundreds of “brave” Navy personnel, he said he was “fortunate to celebrate the holy festival with them”.

“Today is an amazing day. This scene is memorable. Today, on one side, I have the ocean, and on the other, I have the strength of the brave soldiers of Mother India,” PM Modi told them.

“Today, on one side I have infinite horizons and infinite sky, and on the other side I have this giant, INS Vikrant, embodying infinite powers. The glow of the sun’s rays on the ocean’s waters is like the Diwali lamps lit by brave soldiers,” he added.

PM Modi said the INS Vikrant, which is India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, reflects the capability of India’s armed forces.

“Just a few months ago, we saw that Vikrant made all of Pakistan sleepless,” he said, referring to Operation Sindoor, which was launched on May 7 in response to a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22.

He said the “fear” instilled by the Navy, the “extraordinary skill” demonstrated by the Air Force, and the “bravery” of the Army, along with the “exceptional coordination” among all three services, “brought Pakistan to its knees” within days during Operation Sindoor.

INS Vikrant is not just a warship but is also a “testimony to 21st-century India’s hard work, talent, impact, and commitment”, PM Modi said.

“The night spent yesterday on INS Vikrant is hard to put into words. I saw the immense energy and enthusiasm you all were filled with. When I saw you singing patriotic songs yesterday and the way you described Operation Sindoor in your songs, no words can ever fully convey the experience that a jawan feels standing on a battlefield,” he said.

He said that missiles like BrahMos and Akash have proven their capabilities during Operation Sindoor.

“Several countries around the world are now interested in purchasing these missiles,” PM Modi said.

He later posted pictures of the celebrations on X.

“People love celebrating Diwali with their families. And so do I, which is why every year I meet our army and security personnel who keep our nation safe. Happy to be among our brave naval personnel on the western seaboard off Goa and Karwar on Indian Naval Ships with INS Vikrant as the flagship,” he wrote.

Last year, he celebrated Diwali with the personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF), Army, Navy, and Air Force near the Indo-Pak border in Gujarat’s Kutch.

Source: NDTV

--Agencies