PM Modi recalls Pokhran-II tests, says India showed world it ‘cannot be bent’
14/05/2026
NEW DELHI, May 13: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday invoked the legacy of the 1998 Pokhran-II nuclear tests, saying the operation demonstrated India's "unwavering resolve" and proved to the world that no external pressure could force the country to bow down.
In a post on social media platform X marking the anniversary of the nuclear tests, Modi said, "On this very day in 1998, the nuclear tests conducted by India showed the world how unwavering our nation's resolve is. After the tests on May 11, the entire world was pressuring India, but we demonstrated that no force can make India bow down."
The Prime Minister's remarks came as the country marked another anniversary of Pokhran-II, also known as Operation Shakti, a landmark moment in India's strategic and defence history that established the nation as a declared nuclear weapons state.
Pokhran-II consisted of a series of five underground nuclear weapon tests carried out at the Pokhran Test Range in Rajasthan on May 11 and May 13, 1998. The tests were conducted under the leadership of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and involved both fission and thermonuclear devices, signalling India's capability to develop advanced nuclear weapons systems.
The tests triggered strong international reactions at the time, including sanctions and diplomatic pressure from several Western countries, particularly the United States and Japan. However, the Vajpayee government defended the decision as essential for safeguarding India's national security interests in a challenging regional environment.
Pokhran-II is widely regarded as a defining moment in India's strategic doctrine and eventually paved the way for the country's emergence as a recognised nuclear power on the global stage. The tests also shaped India's long-term nuclear policy, including its doctrine of credible minimum deterrence and no-first-use.
Modi has frequently referenced the Pokhran tests and Vajpayee's leadership in his speeches, portraying the operation as a symbol of national strength, self-reliance and strategic autonomy.
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