New Delhi, Oct 15 (KNS): India on Thursday warned Pakistan that any fresh terrorist activity from across the border would invite a strike even bigger than the last time, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh asserting that the nation's commitment to peace must not be mistaken for weakness.
Addressing the Times Network National Defence Conclave 2026, Rajnath Singh as per news agency Kashmir News Service (KNS) said India's civilisational ethos has always favoured dialogue and coexistence, but cautioned that restraint should not be read as a lack of resolve.
Wishing for peace is an integral part of our civilizational consciousness and cultural values. Our culture shows us the path of dialogue, coexistence, and peaceful solutions. But our commitment to peace should not be mistaken for our weakness. Strength and capability are also essential to maintain peace, he said.
In remarks directed at Islamabad, the Defence Minister said India would respond with greater force than in the past if terror activities continued to emanate from across the border.
If any further terrorist activity occurs from Pakistan's side, there will be a strike even bigger than the last time, Rajnath Singh said.
He recalled the sequence of India's military responses to major terror attacks — the surgical strikes after the 2016 Uri attack, the Balakot airstrikes following the 2019 Pulwama attack, and Operation Sindoor after the killing of civilians in Pahalgam last year — and said Pakistan-based terror hideouts were destroyed in the process.
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This was the first time in India's history that the Indian armed forces had struck a decisive blow on the chest of terrorism, he said.
Taking a direct swipe at Pakistan's terror ecosystem, Rajnath Singh claimed that since 2014, the shelf life of most terrorists had fallen to under a year.
Those who have chosen the path of terrorism can no longer stay on this path for long. Our armed forces send them up there very quickly. And since 2014, the 'shelf life' of most terrorists has become less than even 1 year. That is, within one year of raising arms against India, our security forces have taken down most terrorists, he said.
He asserted that whenever terrorists attempted to shed blood on Indian soil, the country delivered a befitting response every time.
The echo of that response must still be resounding in the ears of the masters of the terrorists even today, Rajnath Singh said. (KNS)
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