Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said this year’s Independence Day will be celebrated with “much more enthusiasm” in view of the Centre’s decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. With this decision, the Indian government has given a strong reply to terrorists and “Pakistan’s infiltration activities” in the Kashmir Valley, Gadkari said. He was addressing a gathering of students at the mass recitation of the song ‘Vande Mataram’ here in Maharashtra. “By revoking Article 370, we have strongly retaliated to the infiltration activities of Pakistan in Kashmir. The dreams of all Indians are fulfilled in the real sense today,” Gadkari said. “There is peace in Kashmir and in a way, terrorists have got a strong reply from India. And in this backdrop, the Independence Day tomorrow will be celebrated with more enthusiasm,” he added. The senior BJP leader, who is a Lok Sabha member from Nagpur constituency, said everyone should resolve to fulfill the dream of ‘Akhandh Bharat’ (undivided India). He also praised actor-turned-politician Sunny Deol, who was present on the occasion. Addressing the gathering, Deol said he feels that ‘Akhand Bharat’ will certainly become a reality one day. “On the Independence Day, we should not forget how we got independence. We should remember our freedom fighters like Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Subhash Chandra Bose, Lokmanya Tilak and others who sacrificed their lives for the nation,” the BJP MP from Gurdaspur said. The ‘Vande Mataram’ recital was organised here by local NGO Matrubhoomi Pratishthan to mark the ‘Akhandh Bharat Sankalp Day.
