Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Sunday India’s intention behind launching Operation Sindoor was not only to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan but also to send the message to the world that in its action against terrorism, India would ensure that such bases are not safe on either side of the border.
While virtually launching the BrahMos Aerospace Integration and Testing unit in , which would produce supersonic cruise missiles, Singh said Indian armed forces not only displayed courage and bravery, but also restraint in their action against Pakistan. “We took action not only on the bases adjoining the border, but the throbbing sound of the action by the Indian Army was even heard in Rawalpindi, where the Pakistani army has its headquarters,” he added.
Claiming that the Indian Army got justice for families whose members were killed by anti-India terrorist organisations, Singh said Operation Sindoor was not “just a military action but a symbol of India’s political, social and strategic willpower”. He said this operation shows the commitment and capability of the country’s military strength against terrorism and its readiness to take action following its zero-tolerance policy against terrorists.
“Humne dikhaya hai ki Bharat atankwad ke khilaf jab bhi koi karyawahi karega to atankwadiyon aur unke aakaon ke liye sarhad paar ki bhi koi zameen surakshit nahi rahegi (We proved that whoever India takes action against terrorism, it would ensure that terrorists and their bosses would not remain safe on this side of the border or across the border),” he added.
He said the Indian Army showed restraint in its actions and never targeted citizens in Pakistan. “Bhartiya senaon ne Operation Sindoor ko Pakistan mein maujood atanki dhancha dahane ke udyesh se launch kiya tha. Humne unke aam nagrikon ko kabhi nishana nahi banaya. Magar Pakistan ne na kewal Bharat ke nagrik ilakon ko, balki mandir, masjid, girjaghar par hamla karne ka prayas kiya (The Indian Army launched Operation Sindoor with the motive to demolish terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan. We never targeted their common citizens. However, Pakistan attempted to not only target India’s residential areas but also temples, mosques and churches),” said Singh.
The defence minister said that right from the surgical strike after the 2016 Uri attack, the airstrike after the Pulwama attack in 2019, and now the multiple strikes against Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack, have shown the entire world the result of conducting . “The Prime Minister has thus made it clear that following its zero tolerance policy against terrorism, new India would take strong action against terrorism, be it on this side of the border or the other side,” said Singh.
Claiming that BrahMos is not just a weapon but a message of strength of the country’s armed forces, the defence minister cited APJ Abdul Kalam and said the former president had said that “unless India stands up to the world, no one will respect us in this world. “He said that fear has no place, only strength respects strength, and today, India is among the most powerful nations, and this unit would further assist in that strength”.
The Union minister also gave a call for the country to capitalise on the defence sector by not just becoming self-reliant in defence equipment and weaponry, but also exporting them to other countries.
Launched on May 7, Indian armed forces under Operation Sindoor destroyed nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir in retaliation for last month’s Pahalgam terror attack.
