Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday reiterated the resolve to give the “harshest” punishment to those behind the Pahalgam attack, which he said was aimed at derailing development in Kashmir as he urged the people of the country to stay united in the fight against terrorism.
In his monthly Mann ki Baat address, Modi said the attack that killed 26 people triggered anger across the country, and people were standing with the families of the victims irrespective of their own regional and linguistic identities.
“No matter which state one belongs to, no matter which language they speak, they are feeling the pain of those who have lost their loved ones in this attack. I can feel that the blood of every Indian is on the boil… I once again assure the affected families that they will get justice. The perpetrators and conspirators of this attack will be served with the harshest response,” he said.
Modi’s comments came against the backdrop of India unveiling a raft of punitive diplomatic measures against Pakistan — suspending the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, downgrading bilateral ties, and shutting down the Attari checkpost— over the worst terror strike on civilians since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
On Thursday, Modi said India will pursue terrorists to the ends of the earth and give them “a punishment bigger than they can imagine”, issuing a stern warning to both the perpetrators of the attack and their backers.
In the radio address, the Prime Minister said it was imperative for the people of India to stay united in the fight against terrorism and take on the menace together. “In this war against terrorism, the unity of the country, the solidarity of 140 crore Indians, is our biggest strength. This unity is the basis of our decisive fight against terrorism… Today the world is watching, after this terrorist attack, the whole country is speaking in one voice,” he said. At an all-party meeting held on Thursday, opposition parties raised questions over security lapses but assured support to the Centre, signalling national unity over the worst terror strike in India in nearly two decades.
A group of heavily armed terrorists emerged out of the woods at around 2pm on Tuesday and indiscriminately started firing at around 500 tourists who were present on the lush Baisaran grasslands near Pahalgam town in Kashmir. At least 26 people died – all men, and 25 of them tourists – in the attack that was reminiscent of the heydays of militancy in the 1990s and 2000s and the worst to rock Kashmir since the abrogation of the region’s special status in 2019. Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba’s proxy, the Resistance Front (TRF), has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Modi said the attack on a popular tourist destination showed the “desperation” and cowardice of the patrons of terrorism, who wanted to slow down the development that was taking place in Kashmir.
“…Peace was returning to Kashmir… democracy was getting stronger, the number of tourists was increasing at a record rate, people’s income was increasing, and new opportunities were being created for the youth. The enemies of the country, the enemies of Jammu & Kashmir, did not like that. The terrorists and the masterminds of terror want Kashmir to be destroyed again, and hence they executed such a big conspiracy,” he said.
Leaders from across the world, ranging from US President Donald Trump to Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, dialled Modi after the attack to express condolences and show solidarity. The PM said India had the support of the global community in its fight against terrorism.“Friends, the anger that we the people of India feel, that anger is there in the whole world. After this terrorist attack, condolences are continuously pouring in from all over the world. Global leaders have called me up as well…The whole world stands with 140 crore Indians in our fight against terrorism,” he said.
In the Mann ki Baat address, Modi also paid homage to the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (Isro) former chief K Kasturirangan, who died on Friday at the age of 84. “His contribution in lending newer heights to science, education and India’s Space Program shall always be remembered. Isro attained a new identity under his leadership,” the PM said.
Noting that India has become a global space power, Modi said the country was leading the most cost-effective and successful space programme in the world. “The times to come are ushering in a lot of new possibilities in space. India is going to scale new heights. The country is busy preparing for many important missions like Gaganyaan, SpaDeX and Chandrayaan-4. We are also working on the Venus Orbiter Mission and Mars Lander Mission,” he said.