Rajnath Took Tough Call After Pahalgam, Forces Given Free Hand To Hit Back Hard: Army Chief

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi on Saturday revealed that the army was given a "free hand" the very next day of the brutal April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam.

COAS Gen Upendra Dwivedi (Credit: File Photo/ANI)

New Delhi: Recounting the military's decision-making, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi, on Saturday, laid out the timeline of how India planned and executed Operation Sindoor, a powerful military response to the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam that shocked the nation. He also revealed how the armed forces were given a "free hand" the very next day of the brutal terror incident.

Speaking on the Operation Sindoor, General Dwivedi said a meeting was convened on April 23, and that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, "Enough is enough."

“What happened on 22 April in Pahalgam shocked the nation. On the 23rd, the next day itself, we all sat down. This is the first time that RM (Defence Minister Rajnath Singh) said, ‘Enough is enough,’" he said.

#WATCH | Speaking on Operation, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi says, "...On 23rd, we all sat down. This is the first time that RM (Defence Minister Rajnath Singh) said, 'enough is enough'. All three chiefs were very clear that something had to be done. The… pic.twitter.com/aSFRXsS2qn

— ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2025

According to the Army chief, the message from the top political leadership was unambiguous, and the sentiment was shared across the armed forces leadership. “All three chiefs were very clear that something had to be done. The free hand was given, ‘you decide what is to be done.’ That is the kind of confidence, political direction, and political clarity we saw for the first time,” he emphasised.

The military brass, emboldened by this clear directive, quickly mobilised plans for a calculated and coordinated response. On April 25, just three days after the high-level meeting, the top leadership, including General Dwivedi, visited the Northern Command. There, the blueprint of the operation was drawn.

“On the 25th, we visited the Northern Command, where we thought, planned, conceptualised and executed the seven targets out of the nine that were destroyed, and a lot of terrorists were killed,” he revealed.

The Chief described how this swift political and strategic cohesion raised troop morale and empowered commanders on the ground. “That is what raises your morale. That is how it helped our army commander-in-chiefs to be on the ground and act as per their wisdom.”

The first meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue took place on April 29, after the initial planning phase was already underway.

On May 7, a fortnight after the Pahalgam tragedy, Operation Sindoor was launched with precision. Indian forces struck hard, targeting terrorist camps and infrastructure across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The result: more than 100 terrorists eliminated.

Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, speaking hours before General Dwivedi's remarks, confirmed the extent of the mission’s success. He revealed that Indian forces had taken down five Pakistani fighter jets and a large Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft during the operation.

Reflecting on the operation’s significance, General Dwivedi said, “It is important that how a small name, Op Sindoor, connects the whole nation... That is something which galvanised the whole nation... That is the reason the whole nation was saying, ‘Why have you stopped?’ That question was being asked, and it has been amply answered.”

Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7, a fortnight after the April 22 Pahalgam attack, and more than 100 terrorists were killed in Pakistan and POK during the operation. Through Operation Sindoor, India sent a clear message across the border and within its own ranks.