‘Operation Sindoor not over, only on pause,' says Rajnath Singh in Lok Sabha
Discussions on Operation Sindoor, Pahalgam attack, and US President Donald Trump's claims of mediating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan are being discussed in the Lok Sabha during a 16-hour-long session.
Singh addressed the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that targeted civilians and the military's response through Operation Sindoor soon after. He revealed that in an executed operation lasting just 22 minutes, Indian forces destroyed nine terror sites, including seven major camps, in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir.
'The operation was non-escalatory, carefully planned, and executed with surgical precision. Our forces ensured maximum damage to terror infrastructure while avoiding harm to innocent civilians,' Singh stated.
Refuting claims that the operation was halted due to diplomatic or military pressure, Singh repeated that the decision was purely strategic. 'To believe that Operation Sindoor was stopped under pressure is wrong and baseless. We achieved what we set out to do,' he stated.
The Defence Minister made it clear that the operation is not over, but only on pause. 'Any misadventure from Pakistan in the future, and we will resume Operation Sindoor,' he warned.
Singh also said that there were no Indian casualties in the operation and confirmed that India possesses concrete evidence of the destruction caused inside PoK.
Taking a swipe at the Opposition, Singh criticised them for failing to acknowledge the operation's success. 'Not once did the Opposition ask how many Pakistani aircraft were downed. If you must ask questions, ask whether Operation Sindoor was successful and our answer is a resounding yes,' he said.
'At the end, result matters. And the result is that our army was successful in its Operation,' Singh added.
He also said, 'In 2015, when PM Modi met Nawaz Sharif, India extended its hand for friendship. We wanted to walk on the path of peace. Our core nature is of buddh (peace), not yudh (war)'.
'Talks can only take place between decent and democratic nations. But a country that lacks even a shred of democracy and thrives on terrorism and hatred toward India is not one we can engage in dialogue with,' Singh stated in Lok Sabha.
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