‘Destruction in Pakistan so big that…’: PM Modi hails Operation Sindoor, condemns Pahalgam terror attack in Independence Day speech

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Operation Sindoor in his address to the nation on India’s 79th Independence Day after hoisting the national flag at the Red Fort in Delhi. PM Modi also gave a stark warning to terrorists and those who support terrorists, saying that India will no longer distinguish between the two and its Armed Forces will have the freedom to give a befitting reply if they continue their attempts against India.

“I am proud that today I got an opportunity to salute the Indian Armed Forces of Operation Sindoor from the Red Fort. Our brave forces have punished the enemy beyond their imagination,” PM Modi said.

The prime minister also talked about the deadly Pagalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. “On April 22, in Pahalgam, cross-border terrorists infiltrated and killed people after asking about their religion. They killed husbands in front of their wives, killed fathers in front of their children. The entire nation was filled with rage. Even the whole world was shocked after the attack. Operation Sindoor is the very expression of that anger,” he said.

PM Modi added that after the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian Armed Forces were given complete freedom to determine strategy, target, and time.

“Our forces did something that has never happened before in decades. They destroyed terror camps several kilometres inside enemy territory. They turned the terror infrastructure into ruins. Destruction in Pakistan is so big that new information is revealed every day.”

He added that our nation has been a victim of terror for several decades. Now India has established a “new normal”.

Issuing a clear message to those who support terrorism, the prime minister said, “Now we won’t distinguish between the terrorists and those who give safe haven and support to terrorists. Both are equal enemies of humanity and are no different.”

“In future, if enemies continue their attempts, our forces will decide their terms, time, strategy, and target. We will give a befitting reply to them.” He added that India will not tolerate nuclear threats.