‘No important asset of ours was damaged’: Rajnath Singh on Op Sindoor debate in Lok Sabha

While addressing the debate in Lok Sabha on Monday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made it clear that “no important asset of ours was damaged" during Operation Sindoor, the counter-terrorism mission conducted by India following the Pahalgam terror attack.

At the start of what is going to be a 16-hour-long debate in the parliament, Singh assured the members that the armed forces acted with precision and the operation was carried out successfully without compromising any critical defence infrastructure.

He also highlighted that the Indian Operation was a “decisive and effective demonstration" of India’s policy against terrorism. During the Monday session, Singh informed the Lok Sabha that an “in-depth study" was conducted by the armed forces before it was decided to launch Operation Sindoor, which targeted nine terror camps in Pakistan.

More from India

He emphasised that India chose to inflict maximum damage to terrorists while ensuring that civilians remained unharmed. Overall, Singh hailed the success of India’s defence preparedness and lauded the Indian military.

“I am proud to say that our Air Defence system, Counter-Drone system, and electronic equipment completely foiled this attack by Pakistan. Pakistan could not hit any of our targets, and none of our important assets were damaged. Our security arrangements were impregnable, and every attack was thwarted," he averred.

Op Sindoor was not stopped under external pressure: Singh

While opening the debate on Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam terror attack, Singh said that India did not stop with the mission because of external pressure. It was done only because the objectives of the operation were met.

“India stopped the operation because all the political and military objectives were achieved beforehand. Therefore, to say that the operation was halted due to any pressure is completely wrong," he said. “I will never speak any lies," he added. Singh went on to refute all claims under any pressure, calling them "baseless".

“We stopped action because our objectives were met. It is baseless and wrong that the Operation was stopped under any pressure," he said. The defence minister insisted that Pakistan admitted defeat after the Indian Air Force struck hard at multiple airfields in Pakistan.

“On 10th May, when the Indian Air Force struck hard at multiple airfields in Pakistan, Pakistan admitted defeat and offered to cease hostilities. This offer was accepted with the caveat that this Operation has only been paused. If any misadventure occurs from Pakistan’s side in the future, this Operation will be resumed," Singh told the Parliament.

While concluding his assertion, the defence minister also pointed out that India's objective was never to capture territory during the Operation. “Crossing the border or capturing territory was not the objective of Operation Sindoor. The aim of launching Operation Sindoor was to eliminate those terror nurseries that Pakistan had nurtured for many years," he said.