Prez Murmu, PM Modi pay rich tributes on Kargil Vijay Diwas

New Delhi, July 26 (IANS) President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday paid tributes to the soldiers who fought the 1999 war with Pakistan on the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas.

In a tweet, the President said, "Today, on the glorious occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas, all the countrymen remember the victory achieved by the extraordinary valor of our armed forces. On behalf of a grateful nation, I pay tribute and bow to the memory of the fighters who paved the way for victory by sacrificing their lives to protect the country. Their heroic stories will always inspire generations to come. Jai Hind."

The Prime Minister in a tweet said, "Kargil Vijay Diwas brings to the fore the heroic saga of those wonderful bravehearts of India, who will always remain an inspiration for the countrymen. On this special day, I bow down and salute him from the bottom of my heart. Jai Hind."

While remembering the soldiers, Shah said, "Kargil Vijay Diwas is the day of victory for the honor of crores of countrymen. It is a day to pay tribute to all the mighty warriors who defended every inch of their motherland with their sky high spirits and steely determination like a mountain. With their sacrifice, the brave soldiers of India not only kept the pride and glory of their motherland, but also kept their traditions of winning alive.

"On behalf of the grateful nation, I salute your dedication to keep the integrity of the country intact by hoisting the tricolor proudly again on the inaccessible hills of Kargil," Shah added.

Several programmes are being held across the country to mark the Kargil Vijay Diwas. 

Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated every year on July 26 to commemorate the war that was fought between May 1999, and July 26, 1999, against Pakistan intruders, who in the winters of 1998 had entered the Indian territory across the Line of Control and occupied fortified defences overlooking the NH 1A in Kargil's Drass and Batalik Sectors of Ladakh region with an aim of dominating all military and civil movements.