Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has once again stoked regional tensions by issuing aggressive remarks against Pakistan, threatening war and imposing rigid conditions on any potential future dialogue between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
In a nationally televised address on Monday, Modi declared that “Operation Sindoor has been suspended, not ended”.
"Pakistan must know that the strikes are not over, they have only been suspended after Pakistan promised it will take action against terrorists and terror facilities," he said in his address, adding: "In the coming days, we will measure every step of Pakistan on the criterion that what sort of attitude Pakistan will adopt ahead."
The Indian premier asserted that any talks with Pakistan would be strictly limited to "terrorism and Pakistani Kashmir," a term used by New Delhi to refer to Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Modi dismissed the idea of comprehensive peace talks, saying, “Talks and terrorism cannot go together. Trade and terrorism cannot go together. Water and blood cannot flow together.”
He further emphasized that India would respond on its own terms to any future provocations and would not be deterred by what he called “nuclear blackmail.”
The Indian PM claimed that India had attacked in the heart of Pakistan and alleged that Islamabad later “requested a ceasefire,” attempting to portray Pakistan as having capitulated in recent confrontations.
The Indian leader also asserted that the rules of warfare have changed, vowing immediate retaliation in the event of any future attack. “We will respond in our own way and at our own time,” Modi stated firmly.
