In his first public address following the gruesome terror attack in Jammu &amp; Kashmir&rsquo;s Pahalgam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday sent out a powerful message to terrorists and their backers, asserting that India would track them &ldquo;to the ends of the Earth&rdquo; and ensure they face justice.
Speaking from Madhubani, Bihar, on the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Day, PM Modi condemned the &ldquo;cowardly&rdquo; killing of 26 civilians, most of them tourists, in Pahalgam earlier this week. Before beginning his speech, he called upon the public to observe a two-minute silence in memory of the victims, describing the attack as an assault on the "soul of India."
&ldquo;From the soil of Bihar, I want to tell the whole world &mdash; India will identify, trace, and punish every terrorist and their backers,&rdquo; the prime minister declared. &ldquo;We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth. India&rsquo;s spirit will never be broken by terrorism. Terrorism will not go unpunished.&rdquo;
Emphasizing the national grief and unity in response to the attack, he added, &ldquo;In this terrorist attack, some lost their son, some their brothers, some their life partners. Some of the victims spoke Bangla, some Kannada, some Marathi, Odia, Gujarati, and Bihari. From Kargil to Kanyakumari, we are all grieving for them.&rdquo;
The PM also thanked global leaders for expressing solidarity with India, while reaffirming that the perpetrators, including Pakistan-backed outfit The Resistance Front (linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba), will be met with an uncompromising response.
India has already taken strong diplomatic and strategic steps in the wake of the attack, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, expulsion of Pakistani military attach&eacute;s, closure of the Attari-Wagah border, and cancellation of the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme for Pakistani nationals.
Amid this solemn backdrop, PM Modi also used the occasion to unveil a massive development push for Bihar, marking National Panchayati Raj Day with the launch of projects worth over ₹13,480 crore. Addressing a large gathering, the PM said, &ldquo;Today, the entire nation is connected with Bihar and Mithila. Several developmental projects worth thousands of crores, including in electricity and railways, have been inaugurated here.&rdquo;
Highlighting achievements in grassroots governance, PM Modi said over 2 lakh panchayats have been connected to the internet in the last decade. &ldquo;Essential documents like birth and death certificates and property records are now digitally accessible to villagers,&rdquo; he said.
Other key announcements included:
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Inauguration of projects under Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme worth ₹5,030 crore</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Foundation laying of a ₹340 crore LPG bottling plant in Gopalganj</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Launch of Amrit Bharat Express between Saharsa and Mumbai and Namo Bharat Rapid Rail between Jaynagar and Patna</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">New rail links: Pipra&ndash;Saharsa and Saharsa&ndash;Samastipur; Dedication of Khagaria-Alauli and Supaul-Pipra lines</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Inauguration of two new rail overbridges at Chapra and Bagaha</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Distribution of ₹930 crore to 2 lakh SHGs under the DAY-NRLM scheme</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Release of housing benefits under PMAY-Gramin and PMAY-Urban, including 15 lakh new sanction letters, installments for 10 lakh nationwide beneficiaries, and Grih Pravesh for over 1.5 lakh homes in Bihar</li>
</ul>
PM Modi also presented National Panchayat Awards to best-performing Panchayats across India.
With Bihar set to go to the polls in 2025, the prime minister&rsquo;s address served both as a message of reassurance and strength in the face of terror, and a showcase of his government&rsquo;s rural development agenda.
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PM Modi addresses the gathering in Madhubani

PM Modi issues stern warning after Pahalgam attack; launches ₹13,480 Crore Devt Push in Bihar

‘India Will Pursue Terrorists to Ends of Earth’

PM Modi issues stern warning after Pahalgam attack; launches ₹13,480 Crore Devt Push in Bihar

April 24, 2025 | 20:13 IST