Op Sindoor debate: New India under Modi’s leadership will go to any length against terror: Rajnath in LS

The new India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will go to any lengths against terrorism, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said during a debate on Operation Sindoor in Lok Sabha on Monday.

As Lok Sabha resumed at 2 pm after multiple adjournments, Singh opened the debate on Operation Sindoor and paid tributes to the armed forces personnel who sacrificed their lives in the nation’s service.

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“Soon after the Pahalgam attack, our armed forces took action and hit with precision the nine terrorist infra sites in which more than 100 terrorists, their trainers and handlers were targeted,” he said in his opening remarks.

Narrating the events between May 7 and 10, the defence minister stated, “On the night of May, at 1:05 am, the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor, targeting nine terror-linked locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The entire operation was executed in just 22 minutes, striking terrorists within their own territory. This mission was a resolute response to avenge the honour of our citizens and reaffirm India’s commitment to fighting terrorism.”

He further added India’s “actions were entirely in self-defence, neither provocative nor expansionist. Yet, on May 10, at approximately 1:30 AM, Pakistan launched a large-scale attack on India using missiles, drones, rockets, and other long-range weapons.”

“On 10th May, when the Indian Air Force struck hard at multiple airfields in Pakistan, Pakistan admitted defeat and offered to cease hostilities. This offer was accepted with the caveat that this Operation has only been paused. If any misadventure occurs from Pakistan’s side in the future, this Operation will be resumed…,” Singh told the Lok Sabha.

He further clarified that the aim of the Operation Sindoor was to neutralize the terrorist nurseries that Pakistan had been nurturing for years.

“The aim of this operation was not to start a fight. Crossing the border or capturing territory was not the objective of Operation Sindoor. The aim of launching Operation Sindoor was to eliminate those terror nurseries that Pakistan had nurtured for many years,” he added.

Responding to Singh’s remarks, Deputy Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi said that while Singh gave a lot of information, he didn’t tell how Pakistani terrorists reached Pahalgam and killed 26 people.

“Rajnath Singh ji gave a lot of information, but as Defence Minister, he never mentioned how terrorists from Pakistan reached Pahalgam and killed 26 people… It is our duty to ask questions in the interest of the nation,” said Gogoi.

The Congress MP further launched a scathing attack on the Narendra Modi-led BJP government over its failure to capture the five terrorists involved in the Pahalgam terror attack.

He said that the government has all the resources at its disposal, including drones, satellites, Pegasus, CRPF, BSF, and CISF, yet they have not been caught.

“It has been 100 days since the Pahalgam attack took place, but this Govt has not been able to catch those 5 terrorists… Today, you have drones, Pegasus, satellites, CRPF, BSF, CISF and the Defence Minister went there a few days ago, but still you are not able to catch them…,” the Congress leader said.

He further added: “It took almost 1 hour for an Ambulance to reach Baisaran, where the attack took place. The army came on foot. I cannot forget those visuals when a mother and her daughter saw an Indian soldier; they started crying. They thought the terrorist wearing the uniform of a soldier who killed people in Baisaran was waiting for them. That soldier had to say that he was an Indian, and you were safe… This is the kind of terror the people had there. Rajnath Ji, you should have spoken one word on this terror.”