Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed the nation through his 23rd Mann Ki Baat radio broadcast and said that people using innocent civilians to spread violence in Kashmir “will have to answer”. Besides bringing up the Kashmir unrest, Modi also mentioned India at the Olympics, and mentioned other economic and social issues like the GST Bill being passed in Parliament.

Modi lauded Olympic medallists and runners-up Sakshi Malik, PV Sindhu and Dipa Karmakar, as well as the badminton player’s coach Pullela Gopichand. He said, “Our daughters proved themselves once again, that they are not less than anyone,” though he also said that India had “a long way when it comes to focusing on sports”.

The prime minister appreciated all political parties in the country coming together to pass the Goods and Services Tax in Parliament, and also for being united on the Kashmir issue. “They sent a message to the world, to the separatists and reached out to the people of Kashmir,” he said, adding, “People who are putting innocent young boys forward to disrupt peace in Kashmir, one day they will have to answer to these boy.” He also said that any life lost in Kashmir. “whether of a youth or of a security personnel, is a loss for us as a nation”.

Modi also appealed to the public to use clay idols during the upcoming festival season and said that many people had written to him expressing concern about the environmental impact of such festivals.