NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday chaired a second meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) within a week of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
Reaffirming his commitment to counter terrorism and those who support it, the Prime Minister reportedly again vowed and asserted to tackle such forces through “proper befitting ways”.
The high-level meeting, which included Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah, entailed extensive discussions on various options to punish the perpetrators and promoters of the recent attack.
Although no official statement was released, sources suggested that PM Modi had in-depth deliberations on the final course of action previously discussed in Tuesday’s meeting with the Defence Minister and the chiefs of the three armed forces.
Chaired by the Prime Minister at his Lok Kalyan Marg residence, the CCS convened at 11 am and lasted several hours. The meeting reportedly began with a broad assessment of the overall security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in light of a potentially volatile situation following the recent terror strike.
Discussions revolved around both diplomatic and military responses, factoring in every possible contingency. The CCS meeting was attended by senior ministers, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, in accordance with established protocol.
A day before, PM Modi had met with senior military leaders, granting the armed forces “complete operational freedom” in deciding the “mode, targets and timing” of India's response to the April 22 attack.
Sources indicated that the committee might have evaluated multiple aspects of the nation’s preparedness in response to the Pahalgam incident, aiming to deliver a strong message to those abetting and engaging in terrorism.
A source told this newspaper, “Look, as the government at the first meeting of CCS, held on April 23, had reportedly deliberated and decided a slew of non-military punitive measures against Pakistan including suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and others, as it seems to me, today at the second CCS meeting, the government under PM Modi might have decided and deliberated upon the ways to tame Pakistan-backed and based terrorism or other associated measures whether a precision - selected-location -based military operations can be made or not on terror camps like that others”.
Following the CCS meeting, the Prime Minister also chaired two other significant cabinet sessions Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) and the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA). Notably, this was the first CCPA meeting to be held since 2019, when it was convened in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack.
In addition, the Prime Minister also reportedly held a separate meeting with key cabinet colleagues, including Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Sources noted that PM Modi continued working late into the evening from his South Block office in the Prime Minister’s Office.
It is worth recalling that on Tuesday, PM Modi had reportedly stated that the armed forces have “complete operational freedom” to determine how and when to respond, during a high-level meeting attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, NSA Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, and the chiefs of the three services.