Op Sindoor conducted to eliminate terror nests of Pak, paused not finished: Rajnath

NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday rubbished reports that Operation Sindoor was suspended at the behest of international or national pressure, branding such statements as “baseless and incorrect”.

Initiating the discussion in the Lok Sabha on Operation Sindoor, he explained in detail that the operation was merely suspended, not finished, after meeting its complete military objectives.

“Operation Sindoor was conducted not to seize land, but to eliminate the terror nests fostered by Pakistan and provide justice to innocent Indians murdered in cross-border attacks,” Singh said.

Reiterating the government’s firm stance on national security, Singh cautioned that any new provocation by Pakistan would elicit an even more “intense and decisive” response. He reaffirmed that India’s military is on high alert and capable of reacting strongly to any additional threat.

“If Pakistan again attempts to undertake some sinister activity, we are fully geared for an even more intense and decisive action,” he asserted.

Singh placed India’s conflict with Pakistan as one that transcended issues of territory—characterising it as a “conflict of civilisation versus barbarism.” “Pakistan cannot beat India at conventional warfare, so it espouses terrorism in the guise of innocence before the international community,” he stated.

He accused Pakistan of making terrorism a tool of state policy and criticised its military establishment for providing terrorists with state funerals witnessed by officers, noting how extremists are entrenched in the Pakistani system.

The Indian Armed Forces targeted nine terror infrastructure centres in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir with unprecedented accuracy, said Singh. “More than 100 terrorists, their trainers, handlers and facilitators—largely from Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen—were eliminated in this operation,” Singh added, stating that the operation did not cause harm to Pakistani civilians.

On May 10, Pakistan initiated a counteroffensive with missiles, drones, and sophisticated electronic warfare equipment against Indian military facilities. Singh stated self-assuredly, though, that India’s air defence systems, such as the S-400, Akash missiles, and counter-drone systems, effectively neutralised all threats.

“Not a single Indian asset was touched. The strength of our security architecture was visible in its full glory,” Singh informed the House, adding that India’s response was bold and calibrated. The Indian Air Force launched precision attacks on Pakistani airfields, command centres, and military bases along the western front. The Indian Army and Navy were on guard, with the Navy enhancing its presence in the North Arabian Sea.

Singh said that Pakistan, threatened by India’s retaliation capacity and apprehensive of naval intrusions, proposed stopping hostilities after India’s counterattacks. “Pakistan DGMO called up his Indian counterpart on the morning of May 10. There were formal ceasefire talks on May 12. We had agreed to the ceasefire with the explicit riders that any further provocation would result in the restart of Operation Sindoor,” Singh said.

Singh defined Operation Sindoor as an exemplary instance of jointness between the three wings of the armed forces, saying, “We had many options, but chose the one where maximum damage could be inflicted on terrorist infrastructure without harming innocent civilians.”

“Our government’s attitude has been consistent since the 2016 surgical strikes, the 2019 Balakot air strikes, and now Operation Sindoor - one cannot engage in dialogue with a country that operates on religious fanaticism and employs terrorism as state policy.”

He emphasised that India does not desire war but won’t hesitate in employing demonstrative force to defend its sovereignty and people. “This is New India - we do not bow to nuclear blackmail or global pressure,’’ he said.

Operation Sindoor, Singh underlined, was not merely a military exercise - it was a statement of India’s determination, an exhibition of its military prowess, and a reiteration of its civilisational values.

“India does not want an inch of anyone’s territory. But it will do anything to protect its citizens and punish those who attempt to harm them,” Singh said.

In any examination, results matter and not whether the pencil broke or the pen was lost, Singh said, seeking to blunt opposition criticism on losses faced by the armed forces during Operation Sindoor.

On criticism of the losses allegedly faced by the armed forces during Operation Sindoor, Singh said the opposition parties never questioned how many fighter jets Pakistan had lost in the conflict.