"Opposition Should Ask If Terror Bases Destroyed": Rajnath Singh On Op Sindoor

The opposition's questions on the Pahalgam terror attack and losses suffered during Operation Sindoor - specifically the number of Indian fighter jets shot down by Pakistan - "do not adequately represent our national sentiments", Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in Parliament Monday afternoon.

Mr Singh urged the opposition to ignore "issues... that remain comparatively small (and) can divert attention from national security" as he waved away criticisms and questions.

In an hour-long speech to open the debate on Pahalgam and Op Sindoor, Rajnath Singh rebuked the opposition and said the questions that should have been asked were "how many enemy aircraft were shot down" and "did India destroy terrorist bases".

"A few members of the opposition have been asking... 'how many of our aircraft were shot down?' I feel their question does not adequately represent our national sentiments. They have not asked us how many enemy aircraft we shot down," the Defence Minister began.

Last month sources in the Indian military told NDTV six Pak jets had been shot down, in addition to at least 10 armed UAVs, or unmanned aerial vehicles and a C-130 Hercules transport.

"If they must ask a question... it should be 'did India destroy terrorist bases?' And the answer to that is 'yes!' If they have a question, it should be 'was Operation Sindoor a success?' And the answer is 'yes!' They should ask 'were terrorist leaders killed?' The answer is 'yes!'"

"And if you have more questions to ask, ask this... 'were any of our brave soldiers harmed in this mission?' The answer is 'no, none of our soldiers were harmed'," Mr Singh thundered.

The Defence Minister's sharp remarks were a direct response to the opposition's questions about damage to Indian military infrastructure and assets during Operation Sindoor.

Pakistan had claimed its air defence network had shot down six Indian fighter jets.

India has confirmed damage but refused to give specifics; Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan had said, "What is important is... not that the jet was shot but why they were..."

That question was raked up last week by United States President Donald Trump, who continues to wrongly claim credit for the India-Pak ceasefire and, this time, claimed five fighter jets had been shot down during the India-Pak conflict. He did not say if the the jets were Indian.

The comment, though, was picked up by the Congress' Rahul Gandhi, who asked, "(Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji... what is the truth behind... The country has a right to know."

READ | Rahul Gandhi Has Questions After Trump's Jets Remark, BJP Hits Back

The Defence Minister hit back today at these and other points argued by the opposition, including possible intel failures that allowed the Pahalgam terror attack in the first place.

At the outset he declared Op Sindoor "a story of valour of India", drawing parallels between the military action and the vermillion mark married Hindu women wear on their foreheads.

"Ye sindoor ki laali, shaurya ki kahani hai. Bharat ke mastak par veerta ki nishani hai ('this vermilion is a story of valour. It is a symbol of bravery on the forehead of India')," he said.

READ | PM Modi Named Pahalgam Response Operation 'Sindoor'. Why?

The military operation - India's first tri-service mission against Pak since the 1971 war - had been named by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in honour of the women whose husbands were among the 26 people, most of whom were civilians, killed in the Pahlagam terror attack.

Rajnath Singh also praised the Indian military and underlined precision strikes that destroyed nine terror camps in Pak and Pak-occupied Kashmir and killed over 100 terorrists.

READ | 100 Terrorists Killed, Rajnath Singh Tells Op Sindoor All-Party Meet

All of this, the Defence Minister said, was accomplished in nine minutes in attacks that caused no civiliian casualties, despite what Islamabad claimed. And India's air defence systems, drone countermeasures, and electronic equipment had together "foiled Pakistan's attacks", he said.

"Pakistan could not hit our targets... there was no damage to any of our important assets," he continued, addressing widespread speculation that Pak's missile and drone attacks had damaged Indian military infrastructure and shot down at least one of the new Rafale fighter jets.

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