Srinagar, Sep 17 (KNO): Stating that Indias’ patience should not be misconstrued as its weakness, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said that military operations, including ‘Operation Sindoor,’ demonstrate the country's strong will to act against terrorists and their supporters.
Speaking at the Hyderabad Liberation Day event, Singh, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said, “India’s patience should not be mistaken for its weakness. The ‘Operation Sindoor’ is currently on hold but will resume in full force if terrorism emanates again from across the border.”
The Defence Minister said the ‘Operation Sindoor’ has proven to the world that strength, strategy and self-reliance are the pillars of India’s military approach in the 21st century.
He referred to the 2016 surgical strike and the 2019 Balakot air strike as examples of India’s policy of restraint followed by decisive action when dialogue fails.
“Operation Sindoor, the surgical strike of 2016 and the Balakot air strike of 2019 prove that India’s patience is its strength, not weakness. We choose hard power when negotiations fail to yield any solution,” Singh said, adding, “While India believes in dialogue, it has the capacity to respond firmly when needed.”
On Operation Sindoor, launched in May this year after the Pahalgam terror attack, he said, “It was a response to attacks on our civilians. The armed forces targeted terrorist hideouts deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.”
Referring to the cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan on May 10 this year, he said, “Some people ask whether the ceasefire between India and Pakistan happened because of intervention of someone. I want to make it clear that the operation was not suspended because of anyone’s intervention.”
He pointed to comments made by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in an interview, where Dar acknowledged that India had categorically opposed any third-party role. “Today’s India is competent to respond to the enemy by looking into the eyes," he said, adding, “The conflict remains a bilateral matter, with no role for outside actors.”
He also urged the armed forces to remain alert against new forms of warfare. “The nature of warfare is continuously evolving. Wars today are sudden and unpredictable. We need to ensure our surge capacity remains sufficient,” he said.
Singh identified threats from information, ideological, ecological and biological domains, stressing the need for a technology-driven and joint approach to defence—(KNO)