Talking about Operation Sindoor, India’s counter offensive to Pakistani aggressions following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Modi exposed what he called “Pakistan’s ultimate hypocrisy” – according state honour to the very terrorists India eliminated in its high precision strike.

“You cannot call this a proxy war anymore. When coffins are draped in Pakistani flags and saluted by their Army, it is not terrorism; it is a war. And if this is war, the response will be accordingly,” the prime minister thundered.

Modi revealed that India’s targeted strikes destroyed nine terror hideouts in just 22 minutes and that it was all recorded live this time.

“This time, everything was captured on camera so nobody can ask for proof,” he said, while taking a direct swipe at skeptics who had demanded visual evidence of previous strikes.

Referring to Partition, he invoked history and claimed Pakistan has been using terrorism as a state weapon since day one. “Had Sardar Patel’s advice been followed”, he said, “PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) would be today with India and 75 years of terror could have been prevented.”

“Pakistan captured part of Kashmir using Mujahideen. If they had been wiped out then, we would not be suffering today. But we tolerated… now the thorn will be removed,” he added.

PM Modi took a dig laced with irony and mocked Pakistan’s panic, adding even India’s cleaning of dams has them sweating. “We have only opened small gates to clean dams, and they are already flooding there,” he said, amid thunderous applause from the crowd.

He also attacked the Indus Waters Treaty and called it a historical blunder that crippled India’s own use of its rivers.

Issuing sharp warnings, PM Modi shifted focus to India’s rise on the global stage and highlighted its leap to becoming the world’s 4th largest economy, overtaking Japan.

“Now, the pressure to become No. 3 is greater than the pride of becoming No. 4. We cannot wait anymore. Modi hai toh mumkin hai (it is possible if Modi is at the helm),” he said.

Calling Operation Sindoor a “people’s movement”, the prime minister urged Indians to boycott foreign products and back ‘Make in India’. He even called out imported Ganesh idols as “unworthy”. “Even our gods are made abroad! Every citizen must now become a soldier in this economic war,” he said.

In perhaps the most emotionally charged moment, Modi channeled the Iron Man of India, “Sardar Patel said do not stop until we get PoK back. No one listened then. But now we have decided that the thorn of terror must be removed,” he roared.

(With ANI inputs)

While the world watched in silence, Indian forces pulled off a bold military offensive as part of Operation Sindoor – involving fake radar signatures, autonomous munitions and precision-guided strikes that overwhelmed Pakistan’s defensive grid before it could respond.

Indian defence planners employed a decoy-first strategy: launching dummy unmanned aircraft with radar signatures mimicking Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets. These “ghost planes” were never meant to strike but to provoke a reaction. The trap worked. Pakistani air defence systems got activated, revealing their hidden radar positions and missile batteries.

That is when the real offensive began.

With enemy systems exposed, India deployed a mix of loitering munitions – drones capable of circling a target before striking – along with long-range missile systems. These included Israeli Harops and homegrown BrahMos units.

The missiles, as per reports, were not only aimed at physical structures but also targeted communication nodes and radar arrays. It effectively blinded large parts of Pakistan’s defensive infrastructure.

Among the high-value targets reportedly struck were airbases in Sindh and Punjab provinces, where critical surveillance and drone assets were either destroyed or rendered inoperable.

Military observers say that the operation was not just about retaliating, it was about reshaping the rules of engagement.

Reports suggest that 11 out of 12 forward Pakistani airbases were put out of commission or severely degraded, forcing their air force to relocate assets deep into the interior.

A particularly costly loss appears to be an airborne early warning aircraft reportedly struck while still on the ground – an incident described by analysts as a major intelligence blow to Pakistan’s aerial capabilities.

Caught off-guard by the pace and precision of the operation, Pakistan’s military command, according to the reports, requested high-level talks mere hours after the strikes began. Within the day, Director General of Military Operations (DGMO)-level discussions were initiated, and both sides agreed to a ceasefire by late afternoon.

This campaign marks the first known combat use of several advanced Indian assets, including the BrahMos supersonic missile system in active conflict. Military experts note that the success of the mission lay not just in the firepower, but in the sequence – deception, exposure and strike – executed with digital finesse.

What unfolded was not merely a retaliatory strike but a demonstration of how modern warfare now transcends dogfights – a calculated, multi-layered digital battlefield where perception can be weaponised just as powerfully as precision.

The government’s point person during the recent India-Pakistan conflict, Misri represented the official stance in media briefings and diplomatic communications. His supposed role in brokering the ceasefire drew both praise and hostility online, with some users targeting not just him but his family as well.

In response, a number of prominent voices, including former diplomats, analysts, journalists and politicians, rallied behind him, condemning the personal attacks and highlighting his distinguished service.

Former Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Suri posted on X, “Trolls targeting Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and his family – it is disgraceful. He is professional, composed and clear-spoken.”

Foreign policy analyst Indrani Bagchi said, “Misri is a respected diplomat leading the Foreign Ministry. Trolling his family just because you were playing a fictional India-Pakistan video game in your head is not just vile – it reflects a mindset this country can do without.”

Veteran journalist Vir Sanghvi called out the online vitriol, writing, “Those trolling Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who has done an outstanding job during this crisis, are human garbage.”

AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi also spoke in Misri’s support. “He is a decent, honest and hardworking diplomat serving the nation tirelessly. Civil servants work under the executive; they should not be scapegoated for decisions made by political leaders,” he said.

The Kerala Congress echoed similar sentiments, comparing the trolling of Misri to the recent targeting of soldier’s wife Himanshi Narwal, who had appealed for peace. “Now they are going after Vikram Misri, as if he alone decided on a unilateral ceasefire, not Modi, Shah, Rajnath or Jaishankar,” the party posted on X.

So, who is Vikram Misri?

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Misri took charge as India’s foreign secretary on July 15, 2024. A 1989 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, he has held several diplomatic assignments in Europe, Asia and North America.

He has worked on the Pakistan desk at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and served on the teams of former External Affairs Ministers I.K. Gujral and Pranab Mukherjee. Misri has also been a joint secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office and served as private secretary to three prime ministers – I.K. Gujral, Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi.

His overseas assignments have included postings in Brussels, Tunis, Islamabad, Washington DC, Colombo and Munich. He served as Ambassador to Spain (2014), Myanmar (2016) and China (2019-2021). Most recently, Misri was India’s deputy national security advisor – a role he held from January 2022 to June 2024.

Born in Srinagar, Misri received his early education in Srinagar and Udhampur, later graduating from The Scindia School in Gwalior. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Hindu College, Delhi University and an MBA from XLRI, Jamshedpur. Before joining the civil services, he worked in advertising and film production.