PM Modi Breaks Silence on Indus Treaty Suspension, Says ‘India’s Water Will No Longer Flow Outside India’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said India’s rightful share of water will now be used solely for its people, marking his first public statement since India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan.
Addressing an event hosted by ABP News, PM Modi stated that for decades, even India’s share of river water had flowed out of the country, but not anymore.
“Pehle Bharat ke haq ka paani bhi bahar ja raha tha… ab Bharat ka paani, Bharat ke haq mein bahega, Bharat ke haq mein rukega aur Bharat ke hi kaam aayega,” he said, reinforcing the government’s tough stance post-Pahalgam terror attack.
The statement follows the Union government’s recent move to suspend the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty—a decision taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in response to the April 22 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives.
This marks the first time since the signing of the treaty that India has officially suspended its obligations under the water-sharing agreement brokered by the World Bank. The treaty had long been viewed as a rare symbol of cooperation between India and Pakistan, even during wars and heightened border tensions.
Officials have said the suspension will remain until Pakistan takes verifiable action to dismantle its terror infrastructure and cease cross-border attacks.
Modi also indirectly criticized previous governments for failing to act decisively in matters of national security.
“There was a time when, before taking any essential step, people used to think what the world would think… whether they would get a vote, and whether their seat would be safe. Because of these reasons, major reforms were delayed,” he said.
He added that the current government places national interest above all, regardless of global opinion or electoral calculations.
Signed in 1960, the Indus Waters Treaty allocated control over six rivers in the Indus basin between India and Pakistan. The treaty gave Pakistan access to the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers, while India retained control over the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej.
Despite multiple wars and persistent tensions, the agreement had survived until now, often hailed internationally as an example of water diplomacy.
India’s move to suspend the treaty and the Prime Minister’s remarks signal a hardened policy toward Pakistan in light of repeated terror strikes.
While Islamabad has called the suspension “unilateral and aggressive,” India maintains that its actions are within its rights and are linked directly to national security. Further diplomatic or military escalations remain possible, depending on Pakistan’s next steps.
