Modi said the Pahalgam attack had caused him personal pain and said that the armed forces had been given full freedom to act during Operation Sindoor.
Published May 12, 2025 | 8:53 PM ⚊ Updated May 12, 2025 | 9:17 PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Synopsis: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said India would no longer tolerate “nuclear blackmail” and that any response to terrorism would be carried out on India’s terms, in his first public address after the Pahalgam attack. He described the attack as “the most barbaric face of terrorism” and said that the armed forces had full operational freedom under Operation Sindoor to deliver a befitting reply.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, 12 May, said that India would no longer tolerate “nuclear blackmail” and that any future response to terrorism would be determined solely by India.
In his first public remarks since the 22 April terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, Modi described the assault as “the most barbaric face of terrorism” and said Operation Sindoor had targeted terrorist hideouts and training centres in Pakistan.
“No nuclear blackmail will be tolerated anymore. A terrorist attack on India will have to face a befitting reply, and the response will be on our terms,” he said.
The speech came hours after the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan held a scheduled hotline conversation at 12 noon to discuss the extension of their mutual understanding for the “stoppage of firing and military action.”
The ceasefire was announced on Saturday, following three days of increasingly escalating conflict between the two nuclear-armed countries after India launched precision strikes into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and the Punjab province of Pakistan in what the Ministry of Defence said were “terror infrastructure” targets.
Modi said the Pahalgam attack had caused him personal pain and said that the armed forces had been given full freedom to act during Operation Sindoor, launched by India on 7 May.
“The Pahalgam attack was the most barbaric face of terrorism; it was a personal pain for me,” he said.
Modi further praised the armed forces, intelligence agencies, and scientists for their role during Operation Sindoor and the subsequent military response to Pakistan’s retaliation.
“We all have seen the capability and patience of the country in the last few days. I salute the armed forces, the military, the intelligence agency and the scientists,” he said.
“We gave the armed forces full liberty to crush the terrorists. Our brave soldiers have shown unparalleled valour in achieving the objectives of Operation Sindoor. Today, I dedicate their courage, their bravery, and their heroism to them. I also dedicate this heroism to every mother, sister, and daughter of our nation.”
The Prime MInister asserted that the strikes had impacted both the physical infrastructure and the morale of militant groups operating from Pakistani territory.
“When Indian missiles and drones attacked those sites in Pakistan, it was not just the buildings of the terrorist organisations but their courage also that shook,” he said.
“Terrorist sites like Bahawalpur and Muridke were the universities of global terrorism. All big terrorist attacks in the world, including the 9/11 attacks or major terrorist incidents in India, are somehow or the other connected to these terrorist sites.”
He stated that further Indian action was currently paused, but warned that future steps would be determined by Pakistan’s conduct.
