Will spend Diwali with troops: Modi

Team Udayavani, Nov 7, 2018, 9:48 AM IST

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday said he would celebrate Diwali Wednesday with Army jawans and share pictures of his experience.

Responding to Diwali greetings from Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Modi said, “Every year, I visit our border areas and surprise our troops. This year too, will spend Diwali with our brave troops. Spending time with them is special.”

He said he would share the photos of the same Wednesday evening.

Modi also thanked Bibi, as Netanyahu is called, for the Diwali wishes.

Sources in the government had Monday said the prime minister would offer prayers at the Kedarnath shrine Wednesday.

“On behalf of the people of Israel, I would like to wish my dear friend @narendramodi and the people of India a joyous Diwali. May this luminous festival of lights bring you happiness and prosperity. Reply to this tweet with the name of the city where you’re celebrating!,” the Israel premier had tweeted.

After becoming the prime minister in 2014, Modi had spent Diwali at Siachen with Army jawans.

In 2015, he had visited the Punjab border on Diwali. His visit had coincided with 50 years of the 1965 Indo-Pak war.

The next year, Modi was in Himachal Pradesh, where he spent time with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel at a border outpost.

He had spent his fourth Diwali as prime minister with soldiers at Gurez in Jammu and Kashmir last year.