New Delhi:
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday condemned Pakistan’s support for terrorism and said the NDA government would not allow the waters of the Sindhu river to reach those who sponsor it.
Addressing an ‘Intellectuals Meet’ organised in Hyderabad by Telangana BJP, he said that through Operation Sindoor, the government had shown the world that it knows how to respond to those who do not understand the language of peace and harmony.
“After the Pahalgam terror attack, by suspending the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), we said that those whose tears have dried up should not expect water from us. We will not let the waters of the Sindhu reach the patrons of terrorists and enemies of humanity,” Singh’s statement is a reiteration of Prime Minister’s Narendra Modi’s declaration after Pahalgam terror attack that “blood and water will not flow together”.
The IWT was signed between India and Pakistan on September 19, 1960, concerning the utilisation of the waters of the Indus system rivers.
After last year’s heinous Pahalgam terror attack, India exercised its rights as a sovereign nation under international law and placed IWT in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjured its support for cross-border terrorism.
India’s message since Pahalgam has been consistent: treaties cannot function in isolation from ground realities. And until Pakistan addresses what New Delhi calls “abnormal hostility,” even the world’s most cited water-sharing agreement will remain suspended in more ways than one.
Talking about the NDA government’s achievements over the past 12 years, the Defence Minister cited the abrogation of Article 370, progress towards making the country largely Naxal-free, the implementation of GST, nationwide electrification and reforms in the justice system.
“There was a time when Congress used to say that no one could abolish Article 370. But you have seen our government abolish it with ease,” he said.
He added that Kashmir, once associated with terrorism, is now witnessing growth in tourism, investments and employment opportunities. “The tricolour is flying at Srinagar’s Lal Chowk, Krishna Janmashtami is being celebrated there for the first time, Muharram processions are being taken out peacefully, and cinema halls that had remained shut for decades are being reopened,” he said.
