Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at an election campaign rally held in Barmer in Rajasthan on Sunday, issued a stern warning to Pakistan and said India has stopped getting scared of Pakistan threats. The Prime Minister made the statement, taking a direct dig at Pakistan’s threat of using the nuclear weapons after the Balakot attack, India’s airstrike on a JeM camp which had resulted in speculations of a war between the two nuclear-armed countries.
Speaking at the rally, Modi further said that India too has nuclear weapons, is capable of using it and haven’t kept them aside for ‘Diwali’.
“India has stopped the policy of getting scared of Pakistan's threats. Every other day they used to say we have nuclear button, we have nuclear button. What do we have then? Have we kept it for Diwali?” the Prime Minister said at the rally.
Earlier too, at an election rally in Gujarat, the Prime Minister said he had warned Pakistan of dire consequences if something happened to captured pilot of the Indian Air Force, Wing Commander Abhinandan.
After the Jaish-e-Mohammad’s (JeM) attack in Pulwama that killed 44 Indian paramilitary police in Kashmir, India retaliated conducting an airstrike in Balakot on the JeM training camp on February 14. Though there were conflicting opinions on the damage caused, the airstrike had escalated tensions between both the countries and there were speculations of both the countries engaging in a war.
While Pakistan had disputed India’s claim of success in killing 300 JeM militants during the airtsrike, the country’s government spokesperson had said the officials were engaged in a command and control authority meeting to decide on the use of nuclear weapons, a hint that Pakistan was ready to engage in a war with its neighbour.