IT Desk
New Delhi, July 28 :
The Lok Sabha witnessed a high-voltage debate during the ongoing Monsoon Session as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made a strong statement on Operation Sindoor, India’s military response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, that killed 26 civilians, mostly tourists. In a combative tone, Singh said that if Pakistan resorts to any further misadventure, India will strike again.
Opening the debate in the Lower House, Singh clarified that the objective of Operation Sindoor was not to capture territory but to dismantle the terror nurseries Pakistan had long nurtured. He revealed that the Indian armed forces had targeted nine terrorist infrastructure sites linked to groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen, eliminating over a hundred terrorists and handlers.
The operation, Singh said, was launched on May 7 and paused only after Pakistan admitted defeat following an airstrike on its airfields on May 10. He noted that Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) had reached out to India requesting a ceasefire, which India accepted with the condition that the operation was only paused, not concluded.
Addressing the Opposition’s questions, Singh hit back, saying while they questioned the number of Indian aircraft hit, they failed to ask how many enemy assets were neutralised. “If you want to ask questions, ask whether we destroyed terrorist bases. The answer is yes. Ask whether any of our soldiers were harmed. The answer is no,” he said.
Singh defended the military’s use of weapons systems like the S-400 and Akash missile batteries, crediting them for India’s effective defence during Pakistan’s retaliatory strike on May 10, which failed to hit any Indian target.
He reiterated that the strikes were not offensive but taken in self-defence, pointing out, “If we know how to seek peace, we also know how to speak the language of the vicious.”
Quoting Tulsidas, Singh remarked that war should be between equals and likened India’s forces to lions. “A lion killing a frog does not send the right message,” he said, warning that India had picked up the Sudarshan Chakra to uphold dharma.
However, the debate also saw sharp reactions from the Opposition. Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi questioned why the government had failed to explain how terrorists crossed into Pahalgam in the first place. “Rajnath Singh ji gave a lot of information, but never addressed how such a massive infiltration was possible,” he said.
Earlier, the session saw adjournments as Opposition members demanded time to raise the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) issue in Bihar. Congress leaders KC Venugopal and Gaurav Gogoi accused the government of avoiding debate on key matters and claimed they were denied speaking time despite maintaining decorum.
Meanwhile, Union ministers including Piyush Goyal and Shivraj Singh Chouhan slammed the Opposition for “running away” from a discussion they themselves had demanded. Goyal accused the Congress of showing a “negative mindset” and lacking pride in the achievements of India’s armed forces.
As the 16-hour special debate on Operation Sindoor unfolded, Speaker Om Birla urged all members to engage meaningfully, while Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju warned against rhetoric echoing “Pakistan’s language”.
The government reiterated that Operation Sindoor was a strategic success and a reflection of India’s new doctrine: peace with strength, and deterrence through decisive action.