Udhampur: Consequences of further cross-border terror strikes against India will be far deadlier than Operation Sindoor, defence minister Rajnath Singh warned Pakistan, while speaking at an event in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir, on Saturday.
Hailing Operation Sindoor, Singh said that it was not just a response to the Pahalgam terror attack but also a message for Pakistan that the “consequences” of carrying out terror activities against India can be worse. Operation Sindoor was the natural progression of the 2016 Surgical Strike and the 2019 Balakot airstrike, he indicated.
“Operation Sindoor was not just a response to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Through this operation, we have told Pakistan that the consequences of carrying out terrorist activities against India will be worse. Operation Sindoor is a natural progression of the surgical strike of 2016 and the air strike of 2019”, the defence minister said.
“Through Operation Sindoor, we have told Pakistan that their campaign of inflicting thousands of wounds on India through terrorism will not succeed now. Any terrorist attack on Indian soil will cost Pakistan very dearly. India is fully prepared to take all kinds of action against terrorism”, he added.
Highlighting that true secular spirit exists only in India, Singh reminder Pakistan of the sacrifices of Major Somnath Sharma and Brigadier Mohammad Usman. Both of them sacrificed their lives during the 1947 Indo-Pakistan War. While Major Sharma received the Param Vir Chakra posthumously, Brig Usman was conferred the Maha Vir Chakra.
Brig Usman, along with some other Muslim officers, had declined the offer to become a part of the Pakistan Army during Partition. In contrast, Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir had spoken on how Muslims are different from Hindus and the contentious two-nation theory, a few days before the Pahalgam terror strike.
Reminding Pakistan that India stands united, Singh said: “Pakistan wants to weaken India from within. But Pakistan should not forget that if Major Somnath Sharma sacrificed his life for the unity and integrity of India, then great men like Brigadier Mohammad Usman have also sacrificed their lives for this country.”
The defence minister led the 11th International Yoga Day celebrations in Udhampur and interacted with Army personnel, praising their role during Operation Sindoor.
