Won't tolerate nuclear blackmail, terror, talks can't go together: PM

Modi declares India has only paused action against Pak contingent on 'their behaviour', says not era of war, but not of terrorism either

- Dhrubo Jyoti

Terror and talks cannot go together, terror and trade cannot go together, and blood and water cannot flow together, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday as he underlined a paradigm shift in India's relationship with Pakistan and added that New Delhi won't tolerate nuclear blackmail.

In his first public remarks since India struck nine terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir on May 7, Modi said Operation Sindoor was now India's policy against terror and added that the early morning strikes on "universities of terror" sponsored by Islamabad marked a new normal.

Modi also said that the eventual cessation of hostilities, announced on Saturday evening, came about after Pakistan was decimated militarily and came pleading for a ceasefire. But he categorically stated that Operation Sindoor was not yet over.

"We have only paused our retaliatory action against terror and military bases in Pakistan. In the coming days, every step taken by Pakistan will be monitored... any terror attack will get a befitting response, on our terms, in our way," Modi said in an address to the nation.

He said India's drones and missiles inflicted severe damage to Pakistan's military bases and terror sites, forcing Islamabad to try and save itself, and beg the international community to ease tensions.

"After suffering heavy losses, Pakistan's army contacted our DGMO on the afternoon of May 10. By then, we had destroyed the infrastructure of terrorism on a large scale...when Pakistan appealed and said that it will not indulge in any sort of terror activities or military audacity further, India considered it." Hours after the speech, drones were spotted above Samba town in J&K -- for the first time since 11pm on Saturday.