Modi: India never attacked another country, coveted territory

Amid growing Indo-Pak strain following the September 18 Uri attack in Kashmir Valley and ensuing surgical strikes in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said India has never coveted any territory or attacked another country. 

The comments were made during an inauguration ceremony in the national capital, Delhi, when in an apparent dig at Pakistan Modi said: "India has never coveted territory, never attacked another country, yet thousands of Indians gave their lives in the first World War." 

"In the last two years, you have seen how the government rescued people from conflict situations, not just Indians but foreigners too," Modi was quoted as saying during an event.  He inaugurated Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra, a facility dedicated to the Indian community abroad, on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. 

On September 18, militants infiltrated an Indian army base in Uri near the border in which at least 18 soldiers were killed. India had hit back by conducting surgical strikes across Pakistan's side of the Line of Control at militant launchpads on Wednesday night. 

India's interior minister Rajnath Singh praised the soldiers for their bravery and said, "The country as well as the whole world is aware of this (surgical strikes)..The way our jawans [soldiers] displayed valour and have made India proud."

The minister also insisted to "just wait and watch" in reference to releasing the footage of the surgical strikes carried out. 

Pakistan is maintaining that its border is impenetrable and the strikes never happened. 

Meanwhile, the Indian Army on Friday slammed Pakistani media for showing false videos depicting Indian casualties in one of the operations carried out by the neighbouring country amid escalating tensions. The Army labelled it as "black propaganda" for showing "morphed images", Indian agency the Press Trust of India reported.

(WION with inputs from agencies)