In a hard-hitting speech that underscored India’s changing approach to national security, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday praised Operation Sindoor as the most significant anti-terror operation in the country’s history. Speaking at a national dialogue on ‘Rashtriya Suraksha aur Aatankwad’ in Dehradun, hosted by Amar Ujala, Singh said the operation marked a turning point in how India responds to terrorism.

He credited the Modi government’s eleven-year tenure with revamping India’s security strategy. “Operation Sindoor is not just a military action, it is a declaration of a new India that does not tolerate terrorism on any front,” Singh asserted.

Reflecting on the brutal April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam where 26 civilians were killed, Singh condemned the targeting of victims based on religion. “Aapne dekha unhone yahan dharm puchke maara, par humne unke dharm dekhke nahi, karm dekh kar maara,” he declared, emphasizing that India’s counter-attack was driven by justice, not religious identity.

In a sharp rebuke to Pakistan, Singh drew a contrast between the two countries post-Partition. “India and Pakistan got independence at the same time. Today, India is the ‘mother of democracy’ and Pakistan is the ‘father of global terrorism’,” he said. He accused Pakistan of systematically sheltering and training terrorists, and called on the global community to stop providing financial support. “Pakistan is a nursery of terrorism. It should not be nourished,” he warned.

Singh also spoke of his emotional bond with Uttarakhand, recalling his time as Uttar Pradesh’s chief minister during the state’s formation. He stressed the need for focused development of border states. “People living in these areas are not just citizens—they are a strategic asset to the nation,” he said.