New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday delivered a strong message to Pakistan, asserting that India would not allow the waters of the Sindhu river system to reach countries that sponsor terrorism.
Addressing an ‘Intellectuals Meet’ organised by the BJP in Hyderabad, Singh said the Centre’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty after the Pahalgam terror attack reflected India’s resolve to take firm action against cross-border terrorism.
“After the Pahalgam terror attack, by suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, 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 said.
His remarks echoed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement following the attack that “blood and water cannot flow together”.
The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 between India and Pakistan, governs the sharing of waters from the Indus river system. Following the terror attack in Pahalgam last year, India announced that it was placing the treaty in abeyance, arguing that agreements cannot operate independently of prevailing security conditions.
India has maintained that the treaty will remain suspended until Pakistan takes credible and irreversible steps to end support for cross-border terrorism.
Speaking about the government’s broader achievements over the past 12 years, Singh highlighted several major policy decisions, including the abrogation of Article 370, implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), expansion of electricity access and reforms in the justice system.
“There was a time when the Congress said Article 370 could never be removed. But our government abolished it with ease,” he said.
The Defence Minister also said that Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed significant changes since the abrogation of Article 370. According to him, the region, once associated with terrorism and unrest, is now seeing increased tourism, investment and employment opportunities.
He pointed to developments such as the hoisting of the national flag at Srinagar’s Lal Chowk, the celebration of Krishna Janmashtami and the peaceful conduct of Muharram processions, alongside the reopening of cinema halls that had remained shut for decades.
Singh further said that through Operation Sindoor, India had demonstrated to the world that it knows how to respond decisively to those who “do not understand the language of peace and harmony”.
