Bikaner: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday asserted that the country’s enemies have learnt what happens when ‘sindoor’ becomes gunpowder, and lauded India’s armed forces for creating such a trap that Pakistan was forced to go down on its knees.
In his first public address in Rajasthan after Operation Sindoor that was launched in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, the prime minister slammed Pakistan, and said in response to the attack on April 22, “we destroyed nine biggest terror hideouts in 22 minutes”.
“The world and the enemies of the country have seen what happens when ‘sindoor’ turns into ‘barood’ (gunpowder),” he said at the public meeting in Palana in Bikaner, which shares border with Pakistan.
“Ab toh Modi ki naso mein lahu nahi garam sindoor beh raha hai (Not blood but sindoor runs in Modi’s veins),” he said, adding, Pakistan will have to pay a heavy price for every terrorist attack.
He said India’s response to the terror attack was not a game of vengeance but a “new form of justice” and there will be no trade or talk with Pakistan, there will be talk only about Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
In a stern message to Pakistan, he said India is not going to be scared by nuclear threats and if there is a terrorist attack on the country then it will give a befitting reply.
“If there is a terrorist attack on India, it will get a befitting reply. The time and methods will also be decided by our army and the conditions will also be ours. India is not going to be scared by the threat of atom bomb. Thirdly, we will not see the perpetrators of terror and the government patronising the terrorists separately. We will consider them as one,” he said, adding these are three “sutras” from Operation Sindoor.
He said the game of Pakistan of state and non-state actors will not work anymore.
Lauding the armed forces for carrying out Operation Sindoor, he said “Our government gave free hand to all three armed forces. Together they created such a trap that Pakistan was forced to go down on its knees”.
Noting that Pakistan had tried to target the Nal air base in Bikaner but could not cause any damage to it, he said in contrast “No one knows when Pakistan’s Rahimyar Khan air base will open again. It is in ICU. The attack has destroyed it”.
“Pakistan can never win a direct fight against India. Whenever there is a direct fight, Pakistan has to face defeat again and again. That is why Pakistan has made terrorism a weapon to fight against India,” he said.
Modi recalled his public rally in Rajasthan’s Churu after the 2019 Balakot airstrike, and said he had then stated that, “Saugandh mujhe is mitti ki, mein desh nahi jhukne dunga, mein desh nahi mitne dunga (he had taken a vow that he would not let the country down)”.
“Today, from the land of Rajasthan, I want to say to the countrymen that those who had set out to erase sindoor have been wiped out. Those who shed the blood of Hindustan have paid for every drop of it. Those who were proud of their weapons are now buried under a pile of rubble,” he said.
“This is not a game of vengeance, but this is a new form of justice, this is Operation Sindoor. This is not just anger, this is the fierce form of a capable India. This is the new form of India,” he said.
Referring to the 2016 surgical strikes and the Balakote air strike, Modi said earlier India carried out attacks by entering into their houses but now the attack was directly on their chest.
He said Pakistan used to spread terror, kill innocent people and create an atmosphere of fear in India.
“Now, Modi, the servant of ‘Maa Bharti’, is standing here with his head held high. Modi’s mind remains cool but his blood is hot,” he said.
He said there will be no trade or talk with Pakistan, there will be talk only about Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
“And if Pakistan continues to export terrorists, it will have to beg for every penny. Pakistan will not get India’s rightful share of water. Playing with the blood of Indians will cost Pakistan dearly. This is India’s resolve and no power in the world can shake us from this resolve,” he said.
The prime minister observed that security and prosperity both are necessary for the creation of a developed India.
“This is possible only when every corner of India becomes strong,” he added.
Modi also spoke about the multi-party delegations being sent abroad to to highlight India’s resolve to confront state-sponsored terrorism emanating from Pakistan and assert its right to self-defence following Operation Sindoor.
“To expose the truth, our all party delegations are reaching all over the world. The real face of Pakistan will be shown to the whole world,” he said.
India carried out precision strikes under Operation Sindoor on terror infrastructure early on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
Following the Indian action, Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases May 8, 9 and 10. The Indian forces launched a fierce counter-attack on several Pakistani military installations.
India and Pakistan reached an understanding May 10 to end the military confrontation after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.
PTI