Won’t take N-blackmail, talks only on PoK, terror: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said Operation Sindoor was India’s new policy against terrorism and action against Pakistan had only been paused with every step of the neighbour being closely watched.

In first remarks after Operation Sindoor which he described as “India’s pledge for justice that became a reality on May 7”, the PM said every terrorist in Pakistan now knew the consequences of wiping out the sindoor of India’s mothers and sisters.

The Prime Minister delivered a firm message to the world that if talks happen with Pakistan, these will only happen on the PoK and terrorism. He added that “talks and terrorism and trade and terrorism cannot go together nor can blood and water flow together (a reference that India will keep the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan suspended)”.

Declaring that India had avenged the April 22 barbaric faith-based killings in Pahalgam, the PM, in a televised address to the nation, said while Pakistan attempted to attack India’s borders, India attacked “its heart”. His reference was to the destruction of Pakistan Air Force bases and notorious terror hubs of the LeT and the JeM in Muridke and Bahawalpur by the Indian military.

The PM termed the latter two complexes “universities of global terrorism with links to major terror attacks in India, 9/11 and London tube bombings” and said Indian action had shaken the morale of Pakistan-based terrorists with over 100 killed.

Saluting the armed forces, the BSF and the paramilitary, the PM said Operation Sindoor had drawn a new line in the national response to terror. He listed three dimensions of this new normal — first, a terror attack will be met with a befitting reply on India’s terms and terrorists will be struck in their roots; two, nuclear blackmail won’t be tolerated; and three, India will not differentiate between governments sponsoring terrorism and masterminds of terrorism.

Modi said Operation Sindoor had exposed Pakistan’s ugly face with army officers bidding farewell to dreaded terrorists. This is a strong evidence of state-sponsored terrorism, he noted as India prepares to expose Pakistan in the UNSC sanctions committee.

Throwing light on the sequence of events leading to May 10 when Pakistan requested a pause on hostilities, the PM said Pakistan was frustrated with India’s aggressive action on its air force bases and started looking for escape routes.

“Pakistan was pleading to the world to ease tensions. After suffering heavy losses, the Pakistan army contacted our DGMO on the afternoon of May 10. By then, we had destroyed the infrastructure of terrorism on a large scale and eliminated more than 100 dreaded terrorists. When Pakistan appealed and said it would not indulge in any sort of terror activities or military audacity further, India considered it. And I am repeating again, we have just suspended our retaliatory action against Pakistan’s terror and military camps. In the coming days, we will measure every step of Pakistan on the criterion that what sort of attitude Pakistan will adopt ahead,” the PM assured.

Repeating his famous phrase “this is not an era of war”, the PM said, “this is also not an era of terrorism”.

Zero tolerance against terrorism is the guarantee for a better world, the PM asserted.

He also hailed the Indian military’s superiority over Pakistan and said the Indian forces had displayed dominance in new-age warfare and the efficacy of made-in-India weapons was proved in Operation Sindoor.

“The world is watching how in the 21st century warfare, time has come for made-in-India war equipment to be used,” said Modi, underlining national unity as India’s greatest weapon against terrorism and noting that the Pahalgam attack was an attempt to disturb communal harmony.

He said Operation Sindoor was not just a name but an expression of collective national sentiment to seek justice which had been served.

On the Indian military’s precision strikes, the PM said Pakistan-based terrorists had never dreamed India could take such a big decision to hit them.

“But when a nation unites, valorous decisions are taken and results delivered,” Modi said, speaking on Buddha Purnima.

“When Indian missiles, drones attacked terror organisations in Pakistan, not just terror infra but the morale of terrorists was also shaken....Many patrons of terror for the past two decades were openly roaming around Pakistan and conspiring against India. They have all been eliminated in one go,” the PM announced.

He said the path to peace passed through strength and only a strong nation could guarantee prosperity and peace for its people.

“We demonstrated our strength in Operation Sindoor,” the PM declared amid a fragile pause on hostilities with Pakistan.