In his first public address following India's surgical strikes across the Line of Control, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the time had come to uproot terror and those who patronise terrorists. In an obvious reference to Pakistan, he said that those who support terror or allow it cannot go unpunished.

While he made no direct reference to Pakistan or the surgical strikes that killed an unspecified number of terrorists, he made it more than clear which country he had in mind.

Addressing a massive Dussehra gathering at the Aishbagh Ram Leela ground in Lucknow, Modi said terrorism in all forms was anti-humanity and Hindu Lord Rama represented all that was human. He also stated that India is a country which respects both Lord Krishna who led the Pandavas in the war of Mahabharata and Mahatma Gandhi who propagated non-violence.

The Prime Minister invoked Ramayana and asked people to keep a vigil against terror and fight it the way the vulture Jatayu fought Ravana in a desperate bid to try to rescue the abducted Sita from the demon.

"We may not be able to become Ram, but we can all try and be Jatayu and give a befitting reply to the nefarious designs of terrorists," he said, beginning and ending his speech with loud cries of "Jai Shri Ram, Jai Jai Shri Ram".

"Terrorism knows no religion, no boundaries. If a country of 1.25 crore keeps an eye on every terrorist activity, terrorists will never succeed," Modi said to loud cheers.

With Inputs From IANS