Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Sunday that it is his duty to provide a “befitting” response to those who dare to harm India, amid deteriorating relations between India and Pakistan in the wake of the tragic Pahalgam incident that claimed 26 lives.
Given the escalating tensions with Pakistan, his statement takes on increased weight. Prior to the Pahalgam incident, prominent Indian figures, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and the defense minister himself, pledged to strike back. “It is my responsibility to give a befitting reply to those who dare to attack our country. You all know Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s work ethic and perseverance,” the Defence Minister said.
According to government sources who spoke to a new agency, the Prime Minister gave the Indian Armed Forces “complete operational freedom” to respond to the terror incident earlier this week. Notably, during the Modi administration, India responded to the 2016 Uri terror incident and the 2019 Pulwama attack by terrorists supported by Pakistan with surgical strikes and Balakot airstrikes, respectively.
PM Modi promised that the assailants and their supporters will be found, apprehended, and subjected to unimaginable punishment even after the Pahalgam incident. Pakistan has placed its armed forces, security agencies, and security forces on high alert in response to repeated threats from top government and opposition figures that India may launch a military strike soon.
Rajnath Singh issued a warning the day following the attack in the Baisaran Valley, saying that India would track down and prosecute all those involved in the plot. “We will not only reach out to those who have perpetrated this incident. We will also reach out to those who, sitting behind the scenes, have conspired to commit such nefarious acts on the soil of India,” Singh said while adding that India stood united against terror and has zero-tolerance policy against it.
In contrast, Pakistan has cautioned India against any “misadventure” and has been requesting assistance from the international community in reducing the escalating hostilities with India. Several nations across the world have urged India and Pakistan to maintain caution, and both nations have placed their armed forces and security agencies on high alert in order to be ready for any situation.
