Rajnath hails Operation Sindoor as model of precision, self-reliance on eve of Independence Day
In his message to the armed forces on Thursday (August 14, 2025), he said the operation showcased India's new vision, technological advances, self-reliance, use of drones, layered air defence, electronic warfare, and network-centric operations. He said without crossing the Line of Control or harming civilians, the armed forces destroyed nine major terror camps, including those of the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, within minutes.
Follow President Murmu's speech on the eve of Independence Day 2025
'It was a clear message from India that we are tolerant, but when it comes to the safety of our people and the dignity of our country, we unite and face every challenge boldly. Operation Sindoor is a part of India's new policy, a clear message that no matter how deep the roots of terrorism are, its complete destruction will be ensured. This operation will continue until the goal of complete destruction of terrorism is achieved,' he said.
Mr. Singh said the action avenged the April 22 Pahalgam attack as well as past terror attacks, such as those on the Parliament, Mumbai's Taj hotel, and Amarnath pilgrims. He praised the more recent 'Operation Mahadev' for neutralising key LeT commanders, and recalled earlier surgical and air strikes after the Pathankot and Pulwama terror incidents.
Highlighting Aatmanirbharta, he said India now manufactures 65% of its defence needs, with the defence budget rising from ₹2.53 lakh crore in 2013-14 to ₹6.81 lakh crore in 2025-26. Defence production has grown from ₹46,000 crore to ₹1.51 lakh crore, and exports from ₹1,900 crore to ₹23,622 crore, with targets of ₹3 lakh crore production and ₹50,000 crore exports by 2029.
Mr. Singh highlighted platforms such as the INS Arihant nuclear-powered submarine, Rafale-Marine jets, AMCA jets, and Prachand helicopters that would add firepower to the forces, and cited the government's welfare measures such as the One Rank One Pension scheme. He also lauded the forces' role in disaster relief and global evacuations such as 'Operation Sindhu'. He thanked soldiers, veterans, and their families.
He also mentioned major border projects, including the world's highest tunnel at Shinkun La in Ladakh, and women's growing role in the country's defence, marked by historic naval voyages and the graduation of the first batch of 17 women from the National Defence Academy.
Mr. Singh urged citizens, especially youth, to contribute actively to building a strong, self-reliant, and united India.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
40 minutes ago
- Time of India
Sindoor befitting response to India's adversaries: President Droupadi Murmu
NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu Thursday said will go down in history as an example of "humanity's fight against " and stressed that the unity of Indians was the most befitting response to those seeking to divide the country. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "In our response, what was most noticeable was our unity, which was also the most befitting reply to those who wanted to divide us," the President said, referring to the segregation of tourists by faith by terrorists who killed them at Pahalgam. In her Independence Day-eve address, Murmu called the killings "cowardly and utterly inhuman" and said India responded "decisively and with steely resolve". She praised the armed forces for "strategic clarity and technical capability" in destroying terror hubs across the border. "The world has taken note that we will not be the aggressor, but we will not hesitate to retaliate in defence of our citizens," said Murmu. She noted multi-party delegations of MPs had reached out to other nations to explain India's position. Calling Operation Sindoor a "test case" for in defence, she said it proved India is on right path. Indigenous manufacturing, she added, now meets many security needs - a "landmark achievement" since Independence. PM Modi, responding to her speech, said Rashtrapati ji had "highlighted the collective progress of our nation and the opportunities ahead" and reminded citizens of the sacrifices that paved the way for freedom. In her fourth I-Day address, Murmu urged remembrance of Partition's pain, and paid tribute to its victims. She hailed the new rail link to Kashmir as a historic milestone and praised India's expanding space programme, saying Shubhanshu Shukla's ISS mission will inspire the upcoming Gaganyaan human spaceflight.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Named after Operation Sindoor, Janmashtami Lok Mela inaugurated in Rajkot
The Janmashtami Lok Mela, the largest such fair in Gujarat, was inaugurated at the Race Course ground in Rajkot on Thursday. Named Shaurya nu Sindoor, an obvious reference to Operation Sindoor carried out during the recent conflict with Pakistan, the name was selected from over 3,000 entries received from the people, said Collector Om Prakash Machhra. The mela was inaugurated by Agriculture Minister Raghavji Patel and Social Justice Minister Bhanuben Babariya. The mela is spread over a 70,000 square metres area of which 23,000 square metres have rides and stalls while the rest is open space. Collector Om Prakash said, 'We have marked public assembly zones in cases of disaster, watchtowers have been set up for constant lookout, and disaster response teams have been created. A disaster response plan is in place to make sure the mela is safe.' He further said, 'Two disaster (preparedness) workshops were also conducted and there is an effort to bring confidence in the public that the system is working for them.'
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
2 members of new insurgent outfit arrested with explosives in North Tripura: police
The Tripura Police said on Thursday that they arrested two insurgents of the Tripura United National Front (TUNF), a new outfit believed to be operating from hideouts in Assam, and seized explosive materials from them, barely hours before Independence Day. Speaking to a police officer said the TUNF's main aim was to kill police and other security personnel deployed on Independence Day and loot their arms and ammunition. 'On the eve of the Independence Day celebrations, we received specific inputs about a sabotage attempt by a miscreant group having links with a group namely Tripura United National Front (TUNF). The group is still in the formation stage. It has also been planning subversive acts in the Kanchanpur subdivision to get maximum attention on the eve of this Independence Day,' the officer said. He Said the state police's intelligence wing had been closely monitoring inputs from the ground for the past 48 hours in coordination with the North Tripura district police to track the insurgents' movements. The officer said the police laid an ambush on Kanchanpur-Vangmun Road in North Tripura and, around 5.40 pm, caught Sadai Nanda Reang, who hails from Damcherra in the same district, and Dhananjoy Reang of Assam's Hailakandi district. 'High-end explosive materials were recovered from them,' added the officer, who didn't wish to be named. While insurgency has been at an all time low in Tripura, courtesy of en masse surrenders and peace deals signed with the Central Government in the past few years, the new outfit has been trying to gain traction, according to the police. On September 24 last year, three weeks after the Government of India signed a quadripartite memorandum of settlement with the Tripura Government and the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT), and the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF), over 580 cadres of both outlawed insurgent groups surrendered at the headquarters of the Tripura State Rifles' seventh battalion at Jampuijala, 40 km from Agartala, ending their five-decade-long insurgency. Chief Minister Manik Saha then announced that Tripura had turned into an insurgency-free state. Insurgency largely came down during the Left Front Government's rule, when lucrative offers of an instant grant of Rs 1.5 lakh, vocational training, and a Rs 2,000 stipend prompted insurgents to give up arms. Although armed insurgency in Tripura dates back to 1967, when a small outfit called Sengkrak took up arms, the thick of insurgency came in the late '80s, when groups such as the NLFT and the ATTF rose. While most of these have largely been defunct, a small NLFT faction is said to be active in Bangladesh.
