Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a stern warning to Pakistan from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence Day 2025. “India has decided that it will no longer tolerate nuclear threats, we will not fall for any blackmail,” PM Modi said.
His remarks came in response to the recent nuclear threat to India by Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir.
Praise for armed forces in Operation Sindoor
During his speech, PM Modi praised the bravery of the Indian armed forces during Operation Sindoor, which was launched in response to the terror attack carried out by Pakistan-backed terrorists in Pahalgam on April 22.
He said the armed forces punished the enemy in a manner “beyond imagination”. He further said, “The devastation caused by our armed forces in Pakistan was so extensive that new revelations are being made every day.”
He said, “I salute our brave soldiers who carried out Operation Sindoor. The terrorists wanted bloodshed, so we punished our enemies. India was angry after Pahalgam.”
PM Modi on Indus Water Treaty
On the Indus Water Treaty, PM Modi said that it has caused huge damage to agriculture in India. He stressed that the recent attack in Pahalgam has underlined the futility of continuing with the treaty. “India has decided that blood and water cannot flow together,” the Prime Minister said. He accused the treaty of allowing rivers originating in India to “irrigate the fields of our enemies” while the land of my country and the farmers of my country remain thirsty.
On Tuesday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif warned that any attempt to stop the flow of water to Pakistan would be a violation of the Indus Water Treaty and would be met with a “decisive response”.
His remarks came just a day after former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari issued a similar warning, calling the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty an attack on the Indus Valley civilisation.
Prime Minister Modi hoisted the national flag at the Red Fort on Friday, following which the gallant gunners of the 1721 Field Battery gave a 21-gun salute. The theme of this year’s celebrations is ‘New India’, which reflects the government’s vision of achieving the goal of a ‘developed India’ by 2047.