Rajnath Singh warns India ready for strikes against terrorists amid Pakistan reference

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said India wants peace but will not compromise on national security, warning it is prepared for strikes against terrorists if a neighbouring country continues to promote terrorism. He also stressed future-ready defence capabilities and self-reliance

New Delhi: In an apparent warning to Pakistan, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday underlined that India is prepared to carry out strikes against terrorists as long as a neighbouring country continues to “propagate terrorism”.

In his address at the NDTV Defence Summit 2026, the Defence Minister cautioned that India’s desire for peace should not be mistaken for its weakness, while noting that the country does not seek war or the territory of another country.

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“India believes in peace, does not want war. India does not want to take over another land, does not want to threaten anyone. But there is a difference between silence and weakness,” he said.

In a veiled reference to Pakistan, Rajnath Singh warned: “India wants peace, but it will not compromise on its security. Till the time our neighbouring country propagates terrorism, we will be ready for any strikes against terrorists – we want to tell them and the world.”

India has consistently maintained the position that Pakistani or Pakistan-based terrorists have carried out multiple terror attacks in India over the years. On April 22, 2025, Pakistan-based terrorists attacked the tourists at Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, killing 26 people, including one Nepali national, and injuring several others.

“India believes in dialogue, but if any country propagates terrorism, the dialogue will end then and there,” Rajnath Singh said. “India wants cooperation but not at the cost of national interest.”

Further, Rajnath Singh asserted that India’s defence strategy is “future ready” and added that the nation’s energy resources have been diversified.

He also stressed the importance of being war-ready if a country wants peace.

“Energy resources have been diversified…If you want peace, prepare for war… there’s an English saying; another is: the more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war. We have kept both the batons in mind; prepare for war. The modern soldier is not merely a soldier; they operate within a multi-domain environment,” he said.

Emphasising the importance of reducing dependence on foreign suppliers, Rajnath Singh asserted that India is “aatmanirbhar” and future-oriented when it comes to defence needs, and is not restricted to the current scenario.

Maintaining that India’s ability to make and control critical parts of the defence supply chain would be key to achieving strategic autonomy, he said: “Our philosophy is simple: why buy what can be produced here?”

“From chips to ships, from screws to complete weapon systems, this will take India to strategic autonomy,” he added.