Nuclear blackmail will not come in the way of anti-terror action: PM Modi

New Delhi: Nuclear blackmail will not come in India’s resolve to hit terror at its root in any part of the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday, sending a strong message to the global community against the backdrop of ‘Operation Sindoor’.

In his first address to the nation after an understanding on ceasefire with Pakistan and the launch of Operation Sindoor, PM Modi said military action in terror hubs in neighbouring country has set a new normal in the country’s tough three-pronged anti-terror policy.

The three-pronged new normal against terror talks about India’s commitment to track down terror anywhere on the globe for a strong response to attempts to target its citizens, he said.

“The second feature of the new normal is that India will not allow any supporter of terror to use nuclear blackmail to escape our wrath in case in retaliation to a terror strike,” he said.

PM Modi also clarified that under India’s new normal against terror, government-supported terror operatives will be treated on par with mentors of terror.

While reiterating India’s commitment to give a strong response to terror irrespective of nuclear blackmail, the Prime Minister said it is not an ‘era of terror’ just as it is not an ‘era of war’.

In a special video address to the nation at 8 p.m. on Monday, PM Modi sent a strong warning to Pakistan, saying: “Terror and talk, terror and trade and water and blood cannot flow together. Talks with Pakistan will only be held on terror and Kashmir.”

He saluted the armed forces and said the government could take strong decisions because of its policy of “Nation First”.

Warning that Pakistan will be destroyed by its own terror infrastructure, the Prime Minister said “we struck terror hubs in the heart of that country and also destroyed its defence facilities when it attacked us instead of joining our war against terror that eliminated 100 terrorists”.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi chaired a high-level meeting with top government functionaries, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and NSA Ajit Doval to assess the gains from Operation Sindoor during which 100 terrorists were killed by armed forces.

The meeting took place at the Prime Minister’s residence in the national capital. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and all three service chiefs — General Upendra Dwivedi, Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi and Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh –attended the meeting.

IANS