Coimbatore: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu Thursday slammed Pakistan for “funding and training” terrorists and likened its position after the recent air strikes to a thief stung by a scorpion. In his address at the graduation ceremony of a private college here, he also hailed Indian forces for their recent air strikes on terror camps in Pakistan.
“The situation of our neighbouring country is such that they cant accept it and also cant keep quiet about it,” he said quoting a Telugu adage on a thief stung by a scorpion. “That is the situation of Pakistan today. They have been funding and training terrorists, he said at the event in PSG Institute of Technology and Applied Research. Everyone witnessed how the defence forces fought for the cause of unity and integrity of the nation, “how skillfully they did their duty in recent strikes,” he said referring to the 26 February air strikes on terror camps in Balakot in Pakistan.
Talking about farmers’ plight, he said agriculture sector should get the same importance as technology and research instead of sops like loan waivers. “It’s time for introducing structural changes in agriculture rather than giving loan waivers to farmers,” he said.
Noting that 54 per cent of Indian population was living in rural areas and depended on agriculture, he said sops such as loan waiver and free power for farmers will not work. “We need assured power for farmers. I interact with farmers and pass the feedback I receive to the Prime Minister and chief ministers and policy making bodies such as Niti Aayog, the vice-president said. Naidu wanted to make it mandatory for students to visit and spend time in villages so that they understand the lives of farmers.