IAF showed Lord Hanuman-like bravery: Lok Sabha Speaker lauds strikes

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Tuesday praised the Air Force for the strike on a terror camp in Pakistan and equated the operation to the mythical tale of Lord Hanuman returning safely after setting Lanka ablaze, as mentioned in the epic Ramayan.

Mahajan also congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the strikes, saying the action sent a strong message to Pakistan that it should not look at India with evil eyes.

"Pawan putra Hanuman returned after torching Lanka. Our air force displayed bravery like Lord Hanuman. Now the entire country is confident of terrorism being eliminated," the MP from Indore said.

She said the operation was so swift that Pakistan appeared clueless about what happened.

"Our air warriors returned unscathed after taking action against the terrorists' hideouts but the neighbouring country is still clueless about what happened," she said.

In an air strike that lasted less than two minutes, India pounded Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest training camp in Pakistan early Tuesday, killing up to 350 terrorists and trainers who were moved there for their protection after the Pulwama attack, officials said. 

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Earlier on Tuesday, PM Modi said, divine power is always with us to save the world from enemies of humanity, asserting that this is the message his government has been striving to give to "evil spirits and demons".

His cryptic remarks at an Iskcon event appeared to be referring to strikes by the Indian Air Force on terror camps inside Pakistan earlier in the day.

"Manavta ke dushmano se dharti ko bachane ke liye prabhu ki shakti hamare saath hamesha rahti hai. Yahi sandesh hum poori pramankta ke saath dusht atmaon, asuron ko dene ka prayas kar rahe hain (Divine power is always with us to take on the enemies of humanity. This is the message we are striving to give to evil spirits and demons)," the prime minister said.

He was at the Iskcon temple in south Delhi to unveil a giant Bhagavad Gita, running into 670 pages and weighing 800 kg.

He took a metro ride on way to reach the venue, boarding a train at Khan Market station and deboarding at Nehru Place station.

Addressing the gathering, he said the teachings of the Gita are still relevant and the scripture is a gift to the world.

He said the Gita holds answers to all the questions. "If you are a student or the head of the state ... it has all the answers ... it is the biggest manual. It has solution to all problems," he said.

Bhagavad Gita, often referred to as the Gita, is a sacred text, revered by the Hindus, and is part of the epic Mahabharata, containing the teachings of Lord Krishna to Arjuna on the battlefield.

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