Time for peace, no place for terrorism of any form: PM Narendra Modi

Against the backdrop of Israel-Palestine conflict and the differences with Canada on being "soft" towards Khalistani sympathisers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday emphasised at the Parliament-20 Summit under the auspices of G20 that it was time for peace and brotherhood even as he condemned terrorism in any form as a scourge against humanity that should be dealt with firmly.

PM Modi also hailed India as the "mother of democracy" and asserted that the largest democracy on earth conducts the most challenging elections using modern technology like Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). He also underlined that India has passed a legislation to give 33% reservation to women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

In his 23-minute speech at the P20 Summit here, the prime minister said, "A world full of conflict and confrontation is not in the interest of anybody. A divided world cannot provide solutions to the major challenges facing humanity. This is a time for peace and brotherhood, a time for walking together, a time for moving forward. This is the time for growth and well-being of all." He added that efforts should be made to overcome the global trust deficit and move ahead with a human-centric mindset.


Amid the tension with Canada on the Khalistan issue, its representative kept away from the P20 summit. The US, France and Germany also did not attend due to their domestic political issues.

The PM spoke categorically against terrorism, saying India has faced the problem for long and fought strongly against it. He mentioned the Parliament terror attack of December 13, 2001, and said India has combated terrorism effectively in its march to the present status.