Could've done much more: Rajnath Singh's stern warning to Pak after Op Sindoor
India exercised "remarkable restraint" during its military retaliation under Operation Sindoor despite having the capability to inflict greater damage, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday.Speaking at the inaugural plenary of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in New Delhi, Singh said India could have escalated its onslaught after hitting terror launchpads and Pakistani air bases in precision cross-border strikes, but chose not to.advertisement"You saw how first we destroyed the terrorist hideouts and then the enemy's air bases," Singh said. "We could have done even more, but with power must also come restraint. We have presented a remarkable example before the world, of strength combined with coordination."
Operation Sindoor was launched by the Indian armed forces on May 7, following the horrific Pahalgam terror attack. The operation targeted camps of terror groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen, resulting in the elimination of over 100 terrorists.Following retaliatory shelling and attempted drone attacks by Pakistan, India expanded its strikes to radar systems, communication hubs, and air bases across 11 Pakistani installations. After three days of intense cross-border military actions, a ceasefire understanding between the two nations was announced on May 10.Singh asserted that Pakistan has now realised "the heavy cost of running the business of terrorism" and that India has "redesigned and redefined" its approach to dealing with Islamabad.advertisement"From now on, whenever talks happen, they will only be about terrorism and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir," Singh said. "There will be no discussion with Pakistan on any other issue."'PEOPLE OF POK WILL RETURN TO INDIA'In remarks that are likely to have Islamabad grinding its teeth, he added that residents of PoK are "our own people" and expressed confidence that they would voluntarily rejoin India in the future."The people of PoK are our own. They are part of our family. We firmly believe that our brothers, who are today geographically and politically separated from us, will one day surely return to the Indian mainstream, with self-respect and of their own free will," Singh said.He stated that most of the people in PoK feel a "deep connection" with India and only a few of them have been "misled".The Defence Minister also highlighted India's growing domestic defence capabilities, crediting the success of Operation Sindoor to indigenous military systems."Our home-grown systems during Operation Sindoor have shocked the entire world, proving that we possess the strength to penetrate any enemy's armour," Singh said. "Today it has been proved that Make in India is important for both the security and prosperity of India."Service chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force were also felicitated at the CII event for their leadership in the operation.Tune InMust Watch
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