‘Waited 15 days for Pakistan to act, but terrorism is their bread & butter’: PM Modi on Operation Sindoor | India News

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said India exercised restraint for 15 days after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, hoping Pakistan would act against terrorists. But when no steps were taken, he gave the armed forces a free hand under Operation Sindoor, a mission he described as a clear assertion of India’s zero-tolerance policy on terror.“After the Pahalgam attack, we waited for 15 days to see if Pakistan would take any action. But it seems terrorism is their bread and butter. When they did nothing, I gave our armed forces a free hand,” the PM said, addressing a large gathering in Bhuj after inaugurating development projects worth over Rs 50,000 crore.PM Modi said Operation Sindoor not only dismantled terror infrastructure but sent a strong message globally. “Whoever makes us bleed will see a similar response. At no cost will they be spared,” he said.He further said, “Our retaliation was so strong that their airbases are still in ICU. It was the valour and bravery of our forces that forced Pakistan to wave the white flag. We had already told them, our target was your terror infrastructure; all you had to do was stay quiet. Now that you made a mistake, you have to deal with the consequences.”Calling terrorism a global threat, PM Modi added, “India believes in tourism, but Pakistan thinks terrorism is tourism. The people of Pakistan need to come forward to get their country rid of terrorism. Their youth will have to take the lead.”Referring to earlier conflicts, he recalled the courage of local women during the 1971 war who repaired the Bhuj runway in just 72 hours. “They blessed me and gifted me a sindoor plant, which will be planted in the PM House,” he said.The Prime Minister also emphasized the scale of development in Kutch, saying, “There was a time when the entire Gujarat didn’t receive this scale of investment. Today, a single district is witnessing Rs 50,000 crore worth of development that will make India a hub of the blue economy and green energy.”Meanwhile, in Maharashtra’s Nanded, Union home minister Amit Shah said the PM turned Operation Sindoor into a national effort by sending multi-party MP delegations abroad to expose Pakistan. He slammed Shiv Sena (UBT) for mocking the move, saying, “If Balasaheb Thackeray were alive, he would have supported Modi.”