Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the nation from the Red Fort on the 79th Independence Day, praised the Indian Armed Forces for the success of Operation Sindoor, a mission launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Modi revealed that after the massacre, which shocked the nation and the world, his government gave a “free hand” to the forces to punish the perpetrators beyond imagination.

“Operation Sindoor is the expression of that outrage. Our brave jawans punished the enemy beyond its imagination,” PM Modi said, adding that the forces carried out strikes deep inside enemy territory. According to the Prime Minister, the Indian Armed Forces executed an unprecedented mission, entering hundreds of kilometres into enemy soil to destroy terrorist headquarters. He emphasized that the scale of destruction in Pakistan was massive, with new revelations emerging daily.

The Prime Minister also issued a stern warning to Pakistan after its nuclear threat over India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty following the Pahalgam attack. “The waters of rivers originating in India have been irrigating the fields of our enemies, while our farmers remain thirsty. Now, the right over the water belongs only to the farmers of India,” Modi said.

The warning came after Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, during a recent U.S. visit, threatened to destroy Indian infrastructure on Indus water channels and even hinted at using nuclear weapons if Pakistan’s survival was threatened. India strongly rebutted these statements, with the Ministry of External Affairs condemning Pakistan’s “nuclear sabre-rattling” and calling such remarks regrettable, especially when made on the soil of a friendly nation.

Modi’s speech highlighted national security, strategic retaliation, and water rights as core issues, reaffirming India’s firm stance against terrorism and its commitment to protect its sovereignty.