Kolkata: The escalating rhetoric between India and Pakistan has taken a new turn, with actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty issuing a fiery warning to Islamabad. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, known for his signature style, delivered a stern message on Tuesday, reacting to former Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s recent threats over the Indus Waters Treaty.
“If such statements continue and we lose our patience, then BrahMos missiles will be launched one after another,” Chakraborty declared to reporters in Kolkata, his voice ringing with conviction. He went on to make a sarcastic remark, suggesting that India could build a massive dam where “140 crore people will pee” and release the water to create a “tsunami” in Pakistan. The veteran actor, however, clarified that his comments were aimed directly at Bhutto and not the people of Pakistan.
Chakraborty’s strong words came a day after Bhutto accused India of attacking Pakistan’s “history, culture, and civilisation” by diverting the waters of the Indus River. Bhutto, in a pointed attack, called Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s water project a direct threat to Pakistan’s water security. He also bizarrely linked the project to what he claimed was India’s military “defeat” in a clash that reportedly occurred in May.
This is not the first time Bhutto has invoked the specter of conflict over the river dispute. In June, he had warned Pakistan’s Parliament that the country would “go to war” if it was denied its rightful share of the Indus waters.
The ongoing verbal spat finds its roots in India’s decision to suspend the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty in April, a move that came just days after a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 people. Home Minister Amit Shah has since made it clear that there is no question of restoring the accord.
The already tense situation has been further exacerbated by recent statements from Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir, who warned that Islamabad could resort to using nuclear weapons in an “existential crisis.” India’s Ministry of External Affairs swiftly rejected the statement, branding it as “nuclear blackmail” and raising serious questions about the safety of Pakistan’s nuclear command. India has vowed to safeguard its national security at all costs.
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