Pakistan pleaded for mercy during Operation Sindoor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday, referring to the escalation of military conflict between India and Pakistan during Operation Sindoor in May.
Addressing the Lok Sabha during a debate on Operation Sindoor, PM Modi said, "Pakistan made a call...made a request in front of DGMO, 'Bas karo... bahut maara (Stop it...you have hit enough), now we don't have the strength to take more beating, please stop the attack'".
PM Modi said that the call was made by the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), Pakistan.
The Prime Minister repeated Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's remarks from Monday, saying India only targeted terrorist infrastructure, and informed Pakistan to make it clear that it only wants to targets terrorists.
“I am saying it again… it was India's well-thought out decision, taken after consultation with the forces, that our only target was terrorists and their infrastructure,” PM Modi asserted.
He said that with Operation Sindoor, India made three things clear:
- If there is a terrorist attack on India, we will respond in our own method, on our conditions and on our time.
- No nuclear blackmail would work now
- We will not see terrorist-supporting governments and terror masterminds as two separate entities.
He said that with Operation Sindoor, India made three things clear:
- If there is a terrorist attack on India, we will respond in our own method, on our conditions and on our time.
- No nuclear blackmail would work now
- We will not see terrorist-supporting governments and terror masterminds as two separate entities.
The Prime Minister's remarks came shortly after Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, questioned why India had contacted Pak shortly after Operation Sindoor to tell them that it had hit non-military targets only, and that they did not want escalation.
"At 1:35 in the night, you told Pakistan exactly what you were going to do - that we will not hit military targets, that we don't want escalation," Gandhi said.
"You directly told Pakistan your political will, that you do not want to fight," he alleged. "You attacked Pakistan and simultaneously told them we are not going to hit your army or air defence systems. That is not freedom of manoeuvre; that is surrender."
Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7, and saw a big military escalation between India and Pakistan, following which a ceasefire was announced by both countries. The operation was launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack.