DARBHANGA/MOTIHAR: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday warned Pakistan-sponsored terrorists against attacking India again, saying that if they repeat such strikes they would be met with heavier force — “goli ka jawab goley se diya jayega” (bullets will be answered with cannons). He added that explosives manufactured in Bihar’s proposed defence corridor would be used against the attackers.
Speaking at a poll rally, Shah referred to the Pahalgam attack and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had responded swiftly by launching “Operation Sindoor” within 20 days, during which the Indian Army neutralised the terrorists on Pakistani soil. “Terrorists from Pakistan attacked our citizens in Pahalgam. They wiped off sindoor from the foreheads of our mothers and sisters. The PM avenged it,” he said.
Shah reiterated the government’s plans for a Defence Corridor in Bihar and repeated his warning: if Pakistan-backed terrorists strike again, they will face “made-in-Bihar” artillery. He contrasted the current government’s commitment to national security with what he described as the previous Congress regime’s shortcomings.
The minister also launched an attack on RJD leader Lalu Prasad and his son Tejashwi Yadav, accusing them of glorifying the late Mohammad Shahabuddin — a gangster-turned-politician — and warned that Bihar would reject any return to “jungle raj.” Addressing rallies in Darbhanga, Motihari and Bettiah, Shah urged voters to press the EVM button for the BJP’s lotus symbol to prevent what he called the return of lawlessness under RJD rule.
Promising development measures if the NDA is re-elected, Shah said the government would allocate Rs 26,000 crore to harness the Koshi river for irrigation and flood control, and that water from the Ganga, Koshi and Gandak would be used to irrigate Mithilanchal and prevent deluge. He also said AIIMS-Darbhanga and an IT park would bring better healthcare and jobs to the region, reducing the need for residents to travel to Patna or Delhi for treatment.
Shah claimed that 3.6 crore people are covered by free health insurance up to Rs 5 lakh and said the IT park in Darbhanga would provide employment opportunities for youth. He criticised the RJD for complaining to the Election Commission about a proposed Rs 10,000 benefit for “Jeevika Didis,” and defended transfers to self-help groups as safe from political interference.
Reiterating accusations that the RJD-Congress insulted Chhathi Maiya, the prime minister and his mother, Shah warned voters would “show the exit door” to parties perceived to disrespect the festival. He pledged that, if the NDA stays in power, each district in Bihar would receive one engineering and one medical college within five years.
Highlighting investment and infrastructure plans, Shah said 423 companies signed pacts worth Rs 1.80 lakh crore at a Bihar business summit, approval had been given for a new airport at Raxaul, and an auditorium would be built at Motihari. He also promised to promote religious tourism in Champaran, linking the region to Goddess Sita and Lord Ram.
From Champaran, which he called Mahatma Gandhi’s “karma bhoomi,” Shah announced that Naxalism would be eradicated from the country by March 31, 2026.
