Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanged sweets and pleasantries with army soldiers and Border Security Force (BSF) personnel in the Gurez Valley of Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora District on Thursday on the occasion of Diwali.
Prime Minister Modi, who spent nearly two hours with them, said he considered the soldiers as his 'family.'
"Spending time with our forces gives me new energy. We exchanged sweets and interacted. Happy to know the jawans practice yoga regularly," he tweeted, adding that upon the completion of their tenures, these jawans could be 'excellent yoga trainers'.
Prime Minister Modi also assured that the Centre is committed to the welfare and betterment of the armed forces, in every way possible, and also mentioned the implementation of 'One Rank One Pension' scheme (OROP).
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi took to twitter to greet the nation on the occasion of Diwali.
-ANI