He also hailed the forces for establishing a new normal after the offensive on the intervening night of May 7 and 8, when terror launchpads were destroyed in PoK and Pakistan.
"I salute our bravehearts who carried out Operation Sindoor. Our brave soldiers punished enemies beyond their imagination. The terrorists carried out bloodshed, so we punished our enemies. India was furious after Pahalgam," he said in his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort.
PM Modi on Pahalgam attack
Under Operation Sindoor, carried out jointly by the three defence forces along the border, India targeted terrorist and military installations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir from May 7 to 10. The strikes were conducted in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 people, most of them tourists.
Wearing a saffron turban, a Nehru jacket, and a white safa scarf with saffron and green borders, Prime Minister Modi spoke emphatically about the April 22 killings in Pahalgam, where, he noted, fathers were massacred in front of their children. He said the armed forces had been given a free hand to choose their targets, adding, “They gave a befitting reply to terrorists and destroyed terror launch pads in Pakistan.”
India won't tolerate nuclear blackmail: PM Modi
In another loud and clear message to Pakistan, PM Modi again reiterated from the Red Fort that India wil not tolerate any nuclear blackmail.
"Nuclear blackmail has been continuing for a long time, but it will no longer be tolerated. If our enemies persist in such attempts, our armed forces will respond," he said. "Our forces will do so on their own terms, at a time of their choosing, and by achieving the objectives they set. We are ready to give a befitting reply," PM Modi added.
On India's space leap
In a major announcement, PM Modi boasted of India's space mission and also appreciated astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who recently came back to earth from the International Space Station.
"We are working towards being self-reliant in the space sector. We are making efforts to build our own space station. Around 300 startups are working only in the space sector now," PM Modi said in his address from the Red Fort.
Next-generation GST reforms
In another major announcement, the Prime Minister offered a Diwali bonanza to the country in the form of the next phase of GST reforms. On eight years of implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), he said the government feels it is time to review the system. Describing the upcoming changes as a Diwali gift for citizens, traders, industries, and MSMEs, he said the reforms aim to ease the tax burden nationwide.
"This Diwali, I will make it a double celebration for you. Over the past eight years, we have carried out a major reform in GST, and now we are introducing next-generation GST reforms. These will lower the tax burden across the country," he said.
Message to Trump on tariffs
PM Modi affirmed that he would never compromise on the interests of farmers and fishermen, stressing the need for India to focus on producing high-quality products to enhance the country’s image in the global market.
Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day, he said that India’s mantra in the 21st century should be a ‘Samriddh Bharat’.
“Farmers, livestock keepers, and fishermen are our top priorities. Any policy that threatens their interests will find me standing like a wall against it. India will never compromise when it comes to safeguarding the interests of our farmers,” the Prime Minister declared.
About The Author
Comment List