On Tuesday (May 27, 2025), Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that Pakistan’s use of terrorism is not merely a proxy war but a deliberate strategy of warfare, and India will respond accordingly. Speaking at the Gujarat Government’s urban development programme, Mr. Modi referred to Operation Sindoor, saying, “What Pakistan is doing through terrorism is not a proxy battle—it is a direct war strategy.”

He pointed to the state funerals given in Pakistan to those killed in India’s May 6 strikes on terror camps, noting they were honored with military salutes and had Pakistani flags draped over their coffins. “This makes it clear that these weren’t just proxy agents but state-sponsored fighters. If they wage war, our response will match that,” Mr. Modi said.

He recalled that India had decisively defeated Pakistan in every past war, forcing Pakistan to shift to indirect means like supporting terrorism. “Realizing it could not defeat us in open warfare, Pakistan resorted to training and arming terrorists,” he said. “Even a healthy body can be troubled by a single thorn—we’ve now decided to remove that thorn.”

Referring to the events of Partition, Mr. Modi said that the division of India led to an immediate terrorist assault on Kashmir by the Mujahideen, aided by Pakistan. “They took over a part of our land under the guise of Mujahideen,” he said, adding, “Had those attackers been eliminated then and if Sardar Patel’s counsel had been followed, we wouldn’t have suffered 75 years of continued terror.”