Big victory in India's fight against terrorism: PM Modi on UN listing of Masood Azhar as global terrorist

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday evening hailed the UN listing of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) founder Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, asserting that in India's fight against terrorism, it is a big victory. He also thanked the nations who stood by India in its battle against terrorism.

Addressing a public rally in Rajasthan's Jaipur, PM Modi said, "In our fight against terrorism, it is a big victory."

The prime minister said that today the world listens to India, adding that this is only the beginning.

"Aatankwaad ke khilaaf ladai mein vishwa samuday Bharat ke sath khada raha, is ke liye mein 130 crore bharat vasiyon ki taraf se vishva samuday ka aabhar vyakt karta hoon. Aaj Bharat ki baat puri duniya mein suni jaati hai. Bharat ki baat ko nazar-andaaz nahi kiya ja sakta hai. Aur main danke ki chot par kehna chahta hun ki ye to sirf shuruat hai, aage aage dekhiye hota kya hai. (In India's war against terrorism the global community stands with India and so on behlaf of the 130 crore Indians, I would like to thank the world leaders. Today, everybody listens to India, nobody can ignore India. I can say it with conviction that this is only the start, much more is yet to happen)," said PM Modi. 

He added, "Ab desh ko jahan par se bhi khatra hoga wahan par ghus kar ke maarenge aur agar woh goli maarenge toh hum gola maarenge. (Now we'll enter and finish those who pose threat to the Indians. If they shoot us, we'll fire cannons.)"

In a major diplomatic victory for India on Wednesday, Masood Azhar was finally listed as an international terrorist by the United Nation Security Council's 1267 committee. China, earlier on Wednesday, removed its hold on the listing of Masood Azhar, the man behind several terror attacks in India.

Listing of Azhar means that travel and an arms embargo will be imposed on him which means he cannot travel outside Pakistan nor can he buy weapons. His assets will also be frozen globally. But the big message that India has been able to send is that Pakistan remains the epicentre of terror. It is interesting to know that Pakistan hosts the largest number of United Nations listed terrorist. 

India has been trying to list Azhar as a global terrorist for nearly a decade. It was in first in 2009 that New Delhi tried to get Azhar as a United Nations listed terrorist. India was the lone proposer back then. In 2016, India again proposed the listing and it was co-sponsored by UK, US, France. But the move was was blocked by China.

In 2017, US, UK and France moved the proposal but China blocked the move again. The move in February of 2019 saw global support with 14 out of 15 members of UNCS backing the move for the listing of Masood Azhar. The proposal was moved US, UK, France and co-sponsored by Australia, Bangladesh, Italy and Japan. 

After the Chinese hold in March, France had announced it will be putting a freeze on the assets of Azhar and will raise the issue with the European Union. A joint release by French Foreign, Interior and Finance Ministry said, "We will raise this issue with our European partners with a view to including Masood Azhar on the European Union list of persons, groups and entities involved in terrorist acts, based on this decree."

Currently, a text has been circulated among all members of the European Union for listing of Azhar as a terrorist under EU jurisdiction.