Book review: How Pulwama made Modi's Balakot response his 1971 moment

Modi though was unwavering in his belief that the "strategic restraint" script needed to be rewritten, even if it meant taking an audacious risk before a general election, writes Rajdeep Sardesai

Narendra Modi arrived in the national capital well past 7 pm on 14 February as late winter darkness enveloped the city. It had already been a long day which had begun early morning with a trip to the forests of Uttarakhand for the Discovery Channel shoot. The Pulwama attack meant that the prime minister could scarcely afford to even think of his jungle adventure. A crisis meeting was already on at the national security secretariat, with Doval once again taking charge of the rapidly developing situation. The prime minister was given a full briefing on the nature of the strike.