India Won’t Succumb to Nuclear Blackmail; Operation Sindoor Paused, Not Halted, Says PM Narendra Modi
New Delhi, 12th May 2025: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a powerful national address on Monday night, declared that India will no longer tolerate nuclear blackmail from Pakistan and reaffirmed that any future dialogue with Islamabad will solely focus on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) or terrorism. He announced that “Operation Sindoor,” India’s retaliatory military campaign against terrorism, has only been paused, not halted.
Modi delivered the statement today at 8 PM, following the ceasefire announcement yesterday after large-scale targeted strikes across terror hubs inside Pakistan. These strikes, initiall conducted during the night of 6th May and the early hours of 7th May, were in response to the 22nd April terror attack in Pahalgam, where civilians were brutally killed in front of their families. Calling it a “disgraceful attempt to shatter the nation’s morale,” Modi stated that the entire country united behind the armed forces for decisive action.
“The world has seen what happens when you wipe the sindoor off the foreheads of our daughters and sisters,” he said, referring to the symbolic name of the operation. Over 100 terrorists were killed and major terror leaders eliminated, according to Modi, who said that Indian missiles and drones struck deep inside Pakistani territory, including Bahawalpur and Murid, areas he labelled “global terror dens.”
He confirmed that Pakistan retaliated by targeting Indian civilian zones, schools, religious sites, and residential areas, but was “exposed” as India’s air defence neutralized their drones and missiles mid-air. “Pakistan wanted to strike our border. India struck their chest,” Modi declared.
Amid growing pressure, the Pakistani Army reached out to India’s Directorate General of Military Operations (DGMO) on 10th May, seeking de-escalation. By that time, Modi said, India had already reduced terrorist infrastructure “to ruins.” He clarified that the decision to pause the operation was conditional and strategic. “This is a pause, not a halt. Our armed forces remain fully alert. We will evaluate Pakistan’s actions in the coming days.”
Laying down India’s new doctrine against terrorism, Modi said:
– Every terror attack on India will receive a direct, proportional response — at a time and place of India’s choosing.
– India will no longer tolerate nuclear blackmail.
– No distinction will be made between terrorists and the states that shelter them.
Rejecting any possibility of business as usual with Islamabad, Modi reiterated: “Water and blood cannot flow together. Terror and talks, terror and trade, both cannot go hand in hand.” He asserted that if talks ever happen with Pakistan, they will only be about PoK.
Modi also exposed what he called “the dirty truth” of state-sponsored terrorism, saying senior Pakistani Army officials were seen bidding farewell to slain terrorists, further proving Pakistan’s role in supporting extremism.
Celebrating India’s military prowess, he noted that Operation Sindoor marked a new era of “Made-in-India” weaponry and new-age warfare. “India has proven its capabilities in deserts and mountains, in conventional and modern warfare,” he said.
He concluded by invoking Lord Buddha on the occasion of Buddha Purnima, saying peace must sometimes begin with power. “To fulfil the vision of a developed India, strength is necessary. And when needed, that strength must be used. Bharat Mata ki Jai.”
