Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday sent a strong message to those involved in the Pahalgam attack and said it is his responsibility to work with the armed forces and give a befitting reply to those who dared attack the country.

"It is my responsibility as the defence minister to ensure the security of the country's borders along with my soldiers," Singh said while addressing the Sanskriti Jagran Mahotsav.

He further said: "It is also my responsibility to give a befitting reply to those who dare to attack the nation."

Singh commented amid a heightened tension between India and Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack that drew worldwide condemnation.

IAF chief meets Modi

Indian Air Chief Marshal AP Singh on Sunday met PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi amid escalating tension between India and Pakistan following the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that drew worldwide condemnation.

Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, the Chief of Air Staff, on Sunday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his official residence in New Delhi, reported UNI news agency.

Indian Navy Chief, Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, reportedly met Modi on Saturday.

Modi had also met Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi last week.

No official readout on the meetings was released to the media.

However, it is seen as part of the ongoing deliberations over the response to the April 22 attack when terrorists killed 26 people, mostly non-Muslim tourists, who were present in the picturesque Baisaran meadows.

It was one of the deadliest attacks that the Kashmir Valley witnessed since the 2019 Pulwama incident.

Modi grants armed forces freedom to retaliate

In the wake of the Pahalgam attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it clear that India’s response will be decisive. During an April 29 meeting with top defence and security officials, Modi gave the armed forces “complete operational freedom” to determine the timing and nature of any response, according to government sources cited by PTI.