9 terror camps, 22 minutes; Pakistan’s Rahimyar Khan air base in ICU: PM Modi

Bikaner: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India’s enemies now know what happens when "sindoor turns into barood (gunpowder)", as he praised the Indian armed forces for the swift and decisive response under Operation Sindoor. Addressing his first public rally in Rajasthan after Operation Sindoor, which was launched following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, the prime minister took direct aim at Pakistan.

“In just 22 minutes, we destroyed nine of the biggest terror hideouts,” Modi said at a public meeting in Palana, Bikaner. “The world and our enemies have seen what happens when sindoor becomes gunpowder.”

The prime minister said India would not be cowed by nuclear threats and vowed a strong response to any act of terrorism. “Our armed forces will decide the timing and the method of response,” he added. He said the government had given full freedom to the Army, Navy and Air Force to act, resulting in a strategic offensive that left Pakistan reeling.

“Our forces laid such a trap that Pakistan had to fall to its knees,” Modi declared. Referring to the failed Pakistani attempt to target the Nal Air Force Station in Bikaner, he said it caused no damage, unlike India's counterattack. “No one knows when Pakistan’s Rahimyar Khan air base will be functional again. It’s in the ICU,” he said.

Modi added that Pakistan cannot win a conventional war against India. “That’s why they use terrorism as a tool. But India will respond with strength every time.”

The Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for development projects worth over ₹26,000 crore in Rajasthan, including key infrastructure in roads, railways, and renewable energy. Among the highlights were the launch of 103 redeveloped railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, eight of which are in Rajasthan, and the flagging off of the Bikaner-Mumbai Express train.

He also laid the foundation for major highway projects and solar power initiatives, including a 300 MW ground-mounted solar plant in Bikaner. Additionally, 12 state highways spanning 757 km are set for upgradation under the Rajasthan State Highway Development Programme, further boosting connectivity and regional development.