Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing a public gathering in Bikaner on Wednesday, said that the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 was not just an assault on innocent lives but an attack on the soul of 140 crore Indians.
He said the Indian armed forces were given full operational freedom to respond to the attack, and within 22 minutes, they destroyed nine key terrorist hideouts across the border in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The precision operation, he said, was a coordinated effort by the Army, Navy, and Air Force, and forced Pakistan into retreat.
“This is not the old India. This is the new Bharat. Our response is decisive and on our terms,” the Prime Minister said, asserting that the country will no longer remain a silent spectator in the face of terrorism. “When the sacred sindoor turns into firepower, the enemy is reduced to dust,” he added.
Outlining the core of India’s new counter-terror approach, the Prime Minister stated:
1. India will respond decisively to any terror attack on its soil.
2. Nuclear blackmail will not deter India.
3. Terrorists, their masters, and the governments that support them will be judged by the same yardstick.
He noted that seven groups comprising political leaders and foreign policy experts are currently working to expose Pakistan’s terror links on the global stage.
Calling out Pakistan directly, PM Modi said it had failed to win any conventional war against India and had therefore resorted to sponsoring terrorism. “Pakistan underestimated our resolve,” he said. “Now, if they export terror, they will face the consequences — militarily and economically.”
Highlighting India’s precision strikes, the Prime Minister revealed that he had landed in Bikaner’s Nal Airport — the same facility Pakistan had attempted but failed to target. In contrast, he said Pakistan’s Rahim Yar Khan Airbase had been shut down due to India’s effective strikes.
“There will be no talks, no trade with Pakistan,” he asserted. “If there is any discussion, it will be about Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. They will not receive even a drop of water that is rightfully ours. This is our firm resolve, and no power in the world can shake it.”
