Prime Minister Narendra Modi used his 79th Independence Day address from the Red Fort to issue a strong warning to Pakistan, declaring that India will no longer tolerate nuclear threats or coercion. This was his 12th consecutive address from the historic site since taking office in 2014.

“India has decided that it will not tolerate nuclear threats anymore, we won’t fall for any blackmail,” Modi said, responding to recent statements from Pakistan’s political and military leadership. Last week, Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir warned of nuclear escalation if Islamabad faced an existential threat. Days later, former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari claimed that suspending the Indus Waters Treaty would amount to an attack on the Indus Valley Civilisation.

Modi linked his remarks to the long-standing water dispute, calling the treaty “unjust” and vowing that “blood and water will not flow together.” He accused the agreement of depriving Indian farmers for decades while benefiting Pakistan. The comments came after Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned of a “decisive response” if water supplies were curtailed.

The speech was also Modi’s first Independence Day address following Operation Sindoor — India’s May 2025 precision strikes on terror camps deep inside Pakistan. The operation was launched in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir, which killed 26 people, mostly tourists. “Our brave jawans punished the enemy beyond its imagination,” Modi said, noting that security forces were given complete freedom to decide the timing and targets.

According to Modi, the strikes destroyed key terrorist infrastructure “hundreds of kilometres” inside Pakistan, with new details about the extent of damage emerging daily. He credited the success of the operation to India’s growing self-reliance in defence capabilities and reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthening national security.

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