PM to chair meeting of Council of Ministers; first after Operation Sindoor

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will preside over a meeting of the Union Council of Ministers on Wednesday, marking the first such gathering since India launched Operation Sindoor in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

Government sources said ministers are expected to be briefed on the military action, which involved targeted strikes on nine locations across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The strikes, followed by an assault on key military installations including air bases, were carried out in response to the killing of 26 civilians by terrorists in the Kashmir valley.

“Ministers will be updated on the operation and its implications,” a senior official familiar with the agenda noted. “The meeting also aligns with preparations for outreach programmes to mark the first year of the Modi government’s third term.”

In recent addresses, the prime minister has referred to the operation as a turning point in India’s response to cross-border terrorism. “This is the new normal. Those who sponsor terror will face consequences,” Modi said at a public event earlier this week.

The Council of Ministers meeting, unlike regular Cabinet sessions, is held occasionally and serves as a platform for broad policy discussions. Senior bureaucrats are expected to attend.

The anniversary programmes, beginning next week, will see ministers engaging with the public across states to communicate the government’s achievements and priorities, officials added. Operation Sindoor is expected to feature prominently in the messaging.