Operation Sindoor Debate: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Corners Opposition, Raises 8 Key Points

Commencing the highly anticipated debate on 'Operation Sindoor', Defence Minister Rajnath Singh paid tributes to the bravehearts who risked their lives in the line of duty for the nation, and also informed the Lok Sabha that the S-400, Akash Missile system, and Air Defence guns proved to be very useful and foiled Pakistan's attack.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Lok Sabha (Photo Credit: ANI)

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday initiated the discussion on 'Operation Sindoor' in the Lok Sabha and expressed gratitude to the Indian Armed Forces for the precision strikes that targeted the terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).  

Commencing the highly anticipated debate on 'Operation Sindoor', Rajnath Singh also paid tributes to the bravehearts who risked their lives in the line of duty for the nation. 

On May 7, the Indian Armed Forces launched a military action, codenamed 'Operation Sindoor', to avenge the gruesome Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 individuals were killed. 

Here are the key points that Rajnath Singh raised in Parliament: 

1- The Defence Minister stated that soon after the brutal Pahalgam attack, Indian Armed Forces took action and hit with precision the nine terrorist infra sites in which over 100 terrorists, their trainers and handlers were targeted. He added that the entire operation was concluded within 22 minutes. 

2- Rajnath Singh added that most of the terrorists who were hit in India's Operation Sindoor were linked to terrorist organisations such as Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Hizbul Mujahideen.

He added that although India's actions were precise and carried out in self-defence, Pakistan responded with a large-scale attack using missiles, drones, rockets, and other long-range weapons.

3- The Defence Minister also informed the Lok Sabha that the S-400, Akash Missile system, and Air Defence guns proved to be very useful and foiled Pakistan's attack. 

4-  "I am proud to say that our Air Defence system, Counter-Drone system, and electronic equipment completely foiled this attack by Pakistan. Pakistan could not hit any of our targets, and none of our important assets were damaged," Rajnath Singh said. 

5- The Minister explained that India paused its action because the political and military objectives that were decided upon were achieved. 

6- " On May 10, when the Indian Air Force struck hard at multiple airfields in Pakistan, they 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," he said. 

7- Emphasising that crossing the border or capturing territory there was not the objective of the Operation, he said, "The aim of launching Operation Sindoor was to eliminate those terror nurseries that Pakistan had nurtured for many years."

8- "Few members of the Opposition have been asking how many of our aircraft were shot down? I feel their question does not adequately represent our national sentiments. They have not asked us how many enemy aircraft our Armed Forces shot down,” Singh said. 

“If they must ask a question, it should be whether India destroyed terrorist bases, and the answer to that is, yes... If you have a question to ask, it should be whether Operation Sindoor was a success. The answer is yes. Were terror heads destroyed? Yes. If you have a question to ask, ask this: Were any of our brave soldiers harmed in this operation? The answer is, no, none of our soldiers were harmed,” he added. 

The discussion on Operation Sindoor, scheduled to take place for over 16 hours, was supposed to begin earlier in the Lower House. However, Lok Sabha was adjourned thrice till 2 pm amid ruckus. Meanwhile, amid sloganeering by Opposition MPs, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day and will meet again at 11 am on Tuesday.

(with agencies' inputs)