The special discussion on Operation Sindoor will resume in the Lok Sabha today. The discussion on India’s strong, successful and decisive Operation in response to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam was initiated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in the House yesterday.
Participating in the discussion, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said, India’s military response to the Pahalgam attack signalled a “new normal” in countering cross-border terrorism. He outlined a five-point approach that now defines India’s stance, which is, terrorists will not be treated as proxies, cross-border terrorism will face appropriate response, terror and talks cannot go hand in hand—only talks on terror are possible, India will not succumb to nuclear blackmail, and terrorism cannot coexist with good neighbourly relations.
Dr. Jaishankar emphasised that Operation Sindoor marked a new phase in tackling the persistent threat of cross-border terrorism from Pakistan. He said, following the April 22 Pahalgam attack, India initiated several punitive steps against Pakistan, including suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, reaffirming that “blood and water cannot flow together.”
The External Affairs Minister strongly denied any external mediation in ending the India-Pakistan conflict in May, asserting that the U.S. had no role. He also said, no link existed between ongoing trade discussions and military actions.
Dr. Jaishankar criticised previous governments over their handling of terrorism and foreign policy, referencing incidents such as the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. He stressed the importance of national unity in confronting terrorism, praising the bipartisan solidarity displayed by parliamentary delegations abroad and urging similar unity within Parliament.
He noted the success of Indian diplomacy in getting ‘The Resistance Front, ’ which claimed responsibility for the attack-designated as a global terror group by the U.S. He added that out of 193 UN member nations, only three, besides Pakistan, opposed Operation Sindoor.
Earlier, initiating the discussion in the house, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said India carried out a calibrated and non-escalatory operation, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan in response to the cowardly attack on tourists in Pahalgam. He said, over 100 terrorists were neutralised and nine hideouts destroyed.
Lauding the bravery of the Armed Forces during Operation Sindoor, the Defence Minister said India effectively countered Pakistan’s attack using advanced air defence systems like the high-end S-400 and Akash missiles. He emphasised that none of the key Indian assets were damaged. The Defence Minister called Pakistan a nursery for global terrorism and accused its army and ISI of waging a proxy war to destabilise India. He asserted that under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, India will go to any extent to combat terrorism. Criticising the Opposition, he said some members questioning how many Indian aircraft were shot down do not reflect the true spirit of national sentiment.
Taking part in the discussion, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi raised questions over the security apparatus in Jammu and Kashmir saying that the government was unable to apprehend the terrorists who were responsible for the cowardly terrorist act in Pahalgam. He also questioned the government for the announcement of a ceasefire during Operation Sindoor. He said, Pakistan was given financial aid by the International Organization which shows the failure of Indian diplomacy.
Participating in the discussion, Ramashankar Rajbhar of Samajwadi Party also echoed the same view saying that the terrorists responsible for the Pahalgam terrorist attack are still absconding. He also questioned the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh questioned the opposition for not praising the bravery of armed forces. He also questioned the Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, questioning the Indian Armed Forces capabilities and the country’s indigenous technologies. He further said that Operation Mahadev is underway in Jammu and Kashmir, and a terrorist associated with the Pahalgam terrorist attack has been killed during the operation. Shambhavi of Lok Janshakti Party (Ramvilas) said that the terrorist attack in Pahalgam was not only an attack on the citizens but also an attack on the entire humanity.
Other members including Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee, Lavu Sri Krishna of TDP, YS Avinash Reddy of YSRCP, Deepender Singh Hooda of Congress, Mian Altaf Ahmad of J&KNC, Tejasvi Surya of BJP, Supriya Sule of NCP (Sharad Pawar), Anurag Thakur of BJP, S Vekatesan of CPI(M), Dileshwar Kamait of JDU, Asaduddim Owaisi of AIMIM, Chandrashekhar of Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram), Dilip Saikia of BJP, Kamaljeet Sehrawat of BJP, Lovely Anand of JDU also spoke on Operation Sindoor
