Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated on Friday that India will not tolerate nuclear threats and will treat “terrorists and their supporters” equally. Speaking during the 79th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort in New Delhi, Modi also announced the Sudarshan Chakra air defense system, expected to be operational within the next decade.
Modi referred to the destruction caused by Operation Sindoor in Pakistan, describing it as “so massive that new revelations are being made every day.” The operation involved cross-border missile strikes in May following the April 22 attack on the Pahalgam tourist resort in Indian-administered Kashmir.
The clashes between the two countries lasted four days before a ceasefire was announced by then-U.S. President Donald Trump on May 10. Modi said India has established a “new normal” in its response to terrorism, warning that future attacks would be met with military action “on our own terms, at a time of our choosing.”
He also reiterated that “nuclear blackmail” would no longer be tolerated and reaffirmed India’s position on the Indus Waters Treaty, suspended after the Pahalgam attack. “Blood and water will not flow together,” he said.
His remarks followed statements by Pakistan’s army chief, Gen. Asim Munir, who warned during a visit to the United States that Islamabad would defend its water rights “at all costs” and would destroy any Indian dam built on the Indus River.
Pakistan has denied involvement in the Pahalgam attack and called for an independent investigation. On Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated an offer to resolve all bilateral disputes, including the Jammu and Kashmir issue, through dialogue. Islamabad has also rejected India’s accusations of “nuclear blackmail” as “misleading and self-serving.”
