Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his first address to the nation since the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, strongly praised the Indian armed forces for their decisive response under Operation Sindoor. He declared that the operation had sent a clear message: every terrorist now “knows the price of removing the sindoor of Indian women,” a reference to the symbolic attack on the dignity and safety of Indian civilians.
Speaking on Day 3 of a ceasefire that followed four intense days of cross-border hostilities with Pakistan, PM Modi asserted that Operation Sindoor has marked the beginning of a “new normal” in India’s counter-terror strategy. Any future terror attack on Indian soil, he warned, will be treated as an “act of war.” Dismissing nuclear threats from across the border, he added, “Nuclear blackmail won’t work.”
Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 in direct response to the gruesome Pahalgam attack in which 26 people were shot dead following religious profiling by terrorists. Among the victims were 24 Indian tourists, one tourist from Nepal, and a local pony handler who died trying to protect a tourist.
A proxy outfit linked to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba claimed responsibility for the massacre. Investigations confirmed that three of the five attackers were Pakistani nationals.
In his address, PM Modi described Operation Sindoor as an “unwavering pledge for justice.” “I dedicate Operation Sindoor to the mothers, sisters, and daughters of this nation,” he said. “Operation Sindoor is not just a name — it reflects the sentiments of the people.”
A Direct Strike on Terror Infrastructure
“Terrorists dared to wipe the sindoor from the foreheads of our sisters. That’s why India destroyed the very headquarters of terror,” PM Modi declared. He stated that over 100 terrorists, many of them high-profile and long-wanted figures, were eliminated in the strikes. “India turned their terror hubs into rubble.”
The retaliatory strikes were carried out at nine locations — four within Pakistan and five in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). The operations targeted major bases of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, resulting in the deaths of several of India’s most wanted terrorists.
Among those killed were:
- Mudassar Khadian Khas and Khalid alias Abu Akasha of Lashkar-e-Taiba
- Mohammed Yusuf Azhar, Hafiz Mohammed Jaleel, and Mohammad Hassan Khan of Jaish-e-Mohammed
Mohammed Yusuf Azhar was notably the brother-in-law of Jaish founder Masood Azhar and was a key figure wanted for his role in the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814. Also eliminated were operatives linked to the 2019 Pulwama terror attack.
PM Modi did not mince words in condemning Pakistan’s role in supporting terrorism. “The roots of terror have been nurtured in Pakistan, and now they have been struck at,” he said. “When our missiles and drones destroyed terror sites in Pakistan, not only were buildings flattened, but their spirit was also broken. India struck at the heart of Pakistan. Their air bases were destroyed. They were left stunned and had to beg for peace.”
The Prime Minister cited clear evidence of Pakistan’s state support for terrorism, including the presence of Pakistani military officers at the funerals of slain terrorists. He emphasised that India will no longer differentiate between terrorists and those who harbor or support them.
Outlining what he termed the “new normal,” PM Modi declared a total end to trade and diplomatic engagement with Pakistan unless talks are strictly limited to terrorism and the status of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.
“There will be no trade, no dialogue unless it is about terror or PoK,” he said. In a pointed reference to India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, he added, “Blood and water cannot flow together.”
The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 and brokered by the World Bank, was paused as part of India’s broader diplomatic response. It marked the first time since the treaty’s inception that India has taken such a step.
By targeting key terror leaders and infrastructure deep within enemy territory, India has sent a strong signal not just to Pakistan, but to the international community — that state-sponsored terror will invite decisive and comprehensive retaliation. “The world has now seen what India is capable of,” PM Modi said. “Every inch of land that encourages terrorism will remain within the striking reach of our Armed Forces.”
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