‘India not afraid of any blackmail; blood & water can’t flow together’
New Delhi, Nov 17: In a strong message to Pakistan, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi on Monday said that Operation Sindoor was just a trailer, which was over in 88 hours, stating that if someone wants to blackmail us, India is not afraid of any blackmail.
Speaking at the curtain raiser event of the ‘Chanakya Defence Dialogues’ in New Delhi, the Army Chief, per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said that terrorism emanating from Pakistan is a matter of grave concern for India.
He stated that India will no longer tolerate terrorism at any cost and the country is ready for a protracted war of all kinds. “India’s ‘new normal’ is very clear, blood and water cannot flow together. Negotiation and terror cannot go together.
He warned that India is fully prepared to give a befitting reply to anyone who promotes state-sponsored terrorism. “Even if we receive a letter that is redundant, we know who to reply to.
The Army chief said that India wants peace but Pakistan has to understand that terrorism cannot be used to influence India. “We are saying that by adopting the process of peace, action will be necessary against those who obstruct our work,” he said.
He also mentioned how India needs to ensure that proper supplies for food, and ammunition are maintained for even long drawn out battles, even for as long as four years if need be.
“We also cannot say how long a battle will last even today. This time we fought for 88 hours, next time it could be four months too or even four years. Looking at that, do we have enough supplies and weapons to fight that? If we do not have then we need to prepare for that,” he added.
He said that in today’s era, security challenges are changing and India has to be prepared for all kinds of protracted battles. “India’s strategy is clear: peace initiatives will continue and necessary action will also be taken” (KNO)
