NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday chaired the third meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in two weeks, and the first since Operation Sindoor was paused.
The meeting, attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, and others, did not lead to an official briefing given its sensitive nature. However, sources indicated that PM Modi reviewed the security situation following the pause and assessed the country’s preparedness to counter any potential aggression from Pakistan.
Sources also indicated that PM Modi stressed the need to implement stringent security measures nationwide, particularly in states sharing an international border with Pakistan.
The first CCS meeting on this issue was convened by the Prime Minister on 23 April - just a day after the Pahalgam terror attack - and another meeting was held prior to the launch of Operation Sindoor, lasting for several hours and involving CCS members and the chiefs of the armed forces.
“The PM keeps a very keen intelligence on security issues and whenever he chairs a meeting particularly on security, he is learnt to raise many minutely observed and analysed points of concerns,” a senior government source said.
The source also added that PM Modi may have issued clear directives to maintain 'uchtam astar satarkta' (high-level alertness) in the wake of Operation Sindoor.
In a recent address to the nation, PM Modi declared that any form of terror-related misadventure would be taken seriously and responded to with strong retaliation. He further warned Pakistan that its support for terrorism would eventually lead to its downfall.
The day after this address, during a visit to Air Force Station Adampur in Punjab, he reiterated the point.
PM Modi had also earlier said that India would not succumb to nuclear blackmail.
It is understood that at the latest CCS meeting, the Prime Minister reviewed all aspects of operational preparedness in line with his public statements and examined the potential implications of suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, which Pakistan has vocally demanded be maintained.
Following the CCS meeting, PM Modi also chaired a Union Cabinet meeting that cleared several development initiatives, including a semiconductor unit in Uttar Pradesh.
When asked about the Cabinet’s decisions during a media briefing, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw commented, "Operation Sindoor was an example of India's pride, the role of armed forces and the decisive leadership, besides the new doctrine. This is very commendable for the country.”