SRINAGAR: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday hailed Operation Sindoor as a “befitting reply” to Pakistan, asserting that the Indian Armed Forces struck targets with precision in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 civilian lives.
Addressing a programme in Jodhpur, as per NDTV, Singh said Indian soldiers did not target terrorists on the basis of their religion but on their actions. “Our forces responded strongly in Operation Sindoor. The target that was decided was hit precisely,” he said.
India launched Operation Sindoor on 7 May, during which the Indian Air Force (IAF) and ground forces carried out targeted strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Air Chief Marshal AP Singh later confirmed that six Pakistani aircraft, including five fighter jets and a surveillance platform, were shot down and nine terror camps destroyed. He also released before-and-after satellite images to substantiate India’s claims.
Singh contrasted India’s belief in “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (the world is one family) with the actions of terrorists who “killed people after identifying their religion” in the Pahalgam attack. He reiterated India’s refusal to hold talks with Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of nurturing terror groups. “Dialogue is only possible with civilised and democratic nations, not those driven by religious fanaticism and hatred,” he said.
In Parliament, Singh had earlier declared that “the language of terrorism is fear, blood, and hate, not dialogue,” stressing that negotiations cannot occur under the shadow of bullets.
