Gandhinagar, May 18: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that India has strongly answered the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, where 26 people, mostly tourists, lost their lives. He said that Indian forces destroyed nine terror camps inside Pakistan, including the main offices of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).
While speaking at a public rally, Shah said, “Under the strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India gave a powerful reply. Through Operation Sindoor, we destroyed the main centres of JeM and LeT.”
He said this was a strong message to terrorists and those who support them from across the border. “For the first time after 1947, our army went 100 kilometers inside Pakistan and broke their terror network. This is a warning — if anyone dares to attack Indian people, they will face double the power in return. Our bombs have delivered this message clearly,” Shah added.
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He said terror camps in places like Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Bahawalpur, Muridke, and others were destroyed. These camps were training terrorists and storing dangerous weapons to use against India. “Even those hiding in Sialkot and other places involved in planning global terror attacks heard the loud message of our strikes — if you harm Indians, the reply will be twice as strong,” he said.
Shah also spoke about how things were before 2014. “Before PM Modi came to power, Pakistani terrorists used to enter India, kill soldiers and civilians, and go back safely. But now, every attack gets a strong answer.”
He reminded people about past actions like the 2016 Uri surgical strike, the 2019 Balakot airstrike after Pulwama, and now Operation Sindoor — showing that India’s new policy is to act before things get worse.
He also said that after India’s attack on terror camps, Pakistan tried to hit back by sending drones and missiles towards Indian civilians from Kutch to Jammu and Kashmir. But India’s air defense system, which has become very strong under PM Modi, stopped all these attacks and protected people.
In reply, Shah said, the Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out precise attacks on 15 Pakistani airbases without harming any civilians. “Their air power was broken. For the first time, our forces went 100 kilometers deep into Pakistan and broke their terror infrastructure,” he said.
He also said, “Earlier, Pakistan used to scare us with talks of atom bombs. But now, they are scared. India has shown that our strength and willpower cannot be challenged.”
Calling PM Modi the “son of Gujarat and Bharat,” Shah said that the country is proud of his strong steps to protect the nation. “Under his leadership, India has not only developed fast but has also become a country that hits back with courage. Terrorists now know they will not be spared,” he said.
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He praised the bravery of Indian soldiers and said the government is fully committed to the safety of every Indian. “India has changed. This is New India. And New India does not forget or forgive those who kill innocent people,” Shah said.