Sasaram

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said India has responded to past terror attacks with force and warned of a decisive response to any future attacks, while announcing plans for defence infrastructure in Bihar.

Adressing an election rally in Sasaram ahead of the second phase of the Bihar Assembly elections to be held on November 11, the Union minister said that India would respond with "gola" to any terrorist bullet fired.

Shah said, "On this sacred land of Shaktipeeth, I am saying, if terrorists fire a bullet, 'hum goli ka jawab goley se deyge'. Did you know where this 'gola' is going to be made? PM Modi is going to establish a defence corridor and set up an ordnance factory in Bihar."

The Union Minister also contrasted the current government's response to terror with that of previous Congress-led administrations.

"When Sonia, Manmohan, and Lalu were in power, terrorists would sneak in, attack our land, and then flee. There was no questioning. After Narendra Modi's government came into power, we carried out a surgical strike in response to the Uri attack and an airstrike after the Pulwama attack," Shah said.

He referred to the recent Pahalgam terror attack, in which 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali national were killed, and hailed Operation Sindoor as India's strong retaliation.

"In Pahalgam, our tourists were killed after being asked about their religion. In just 22 days, we carried out 'Operation Sindoor' and entered Pakistan, wiping out terrorism," the Union Minister said.

Shah also accused Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Yadav's son, Tejashwi Yadav, of staging the recent 'yatra' to "protect the infiltrators" and said the Centre would work to remove infiltrators from Bihar.

He said, "Just a few days ago, Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Yadav's son initiated a 'Yatra.' However, what was the purpose of the yatra?... They started it to protect the infiltrators... Should there be any place for infiltrators in Bihar?... The infiltrators are snatching jobs from our youth, taking away the rations of our poor, and making the country unsafe."

He said the opposition was creating a "vote bank of infiltrators" while the Modi government was focused on industrial and economic growth in Bihar.

The Union Minister said, "Let Lalu's son and Rahul do whatever they want. From the land of Sasaram today, I pledge that we will work to expel every infiltrator from Bihar. They have created infiltrators, their vote bank... they want to build an infiltrator's corridor, and Narendra Modi wants to build an industrial corridor. In the next five years, we will work to make all of Bihar a developed state."

The first phase of the Bihar elections, which saw a record voter turnout of 65.08 per cent, marked the highest polling percentage in the state's history.

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Elections for 122 assembly seats in the second phase are scheduled on November 11. The results of the Bihar Assembly elections are slated to be announced on November 14.