The North News
New Delhi, July 28
Responding to questions from some Opposition members about whether any Indian aircraft were shot down during Operation Sindoor, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday dismissed the concern as misplaced. “In any examination, it is the result that matters,” he said. “If a child performs well and scores high marks, we don’t dwell on whether their pencil broke or their pen was lost during the test. What matters is the outcome — and in the case of Operation Sindoor, the outcome was clear: our armed forces accomplished every objective they set out to achieve,” he added.
He also said that such queries fail to reflect the sentiment of the nation. “They have not once asked how many enemy aircraft our forces brought down, or whether terrorist bases were destroyed,” Rajnath Singh said in Parliament. “If there is a question to be asked, it should be this — was Operation Sindoor successful? The answer is yes.”
He went on to add, “The terrorists who wiped the sindoor off the foreheads of our sisters and daughters have been dealt with. Their masterminds have been eliminated by our forces.”
Operation Sindoor, according to the Defence Minister, was a calibrated military response to a surge in cross-border terror activity from Pakistan-based groups. The Indian Air Force targeted nine terrorist infrastructure facilities, reportedly eliminating over 100 terrorists affiliated with organisations including Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
In remarks aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stance, Rajnath Singh confirmed that the operation has only been “paused” and could resume should Pakistan engage in further hostilities. “We are fully prepared for even stronger and more decisive action,” he said.
Rajnath Singh said Pakistan’s military offered to halt hostilities after suffering extensive damage. “On 10 May, Pakistan’s DGMO contacted India and sought an end to operations. A formal dialogue on 12 May led to the pause,” he revealed. Opposition leaders had pressed for details about potential Indian aircraft losses, which Rajnath Singh termed “misplaced priorities.” He countered, asking, “Why not ask how many enemy targets we destroyed?”
India’s strategy, Rajnath Singh argued, was never to escalate into full-scale war but to deliver “demonstrative force” to neutralise threats. He said Indian forces had full operational autonomy and used precision targeting to avoid civilian casualties in Pakistan.
Citing previous cross-border actions — including the 2016 surgical strikes and the 2019 Balakot airstrikes — he said Operation Sindoor continues India’s assertive policy of proactive counter-terrorism. “This operation was a message to those who support terrorism — India will not stand idle,” he said.
The Defence Minister concluded by urging unity across party lines, invoking the Sanskrit verse “Sangachchhadhwam Samvadadhwam” — a call for collective national purpose.
