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If Navy joined in, Pak would’ve split into four: Rajnath
Rajnath Singh said it would be in Pakistan’s best interests to “uproot nurseries of terrorism” operating on its soil on its own
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New Delhi/Panaji: Had the Indian Navy swung into action during Operation Sindoor, Pakistan would have been split into four parts, defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday, adding that the navy will draw first blood should Pakistan choose to repeat its misdeeds and direct terror against India.
He warned Pakistan of severe and unthinkable retaliation and said if Islamabad is serious about talks, terror masterminds such as Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar must first be handed over to India to face justice.
“When the Indian Navy swung into action in 1971, Pakistan was divided into two. If the navy had demonstrated its form in Operation Sindoor, then I think it would have been split into four parts... If Pakistan resorts to anything evil or unethical, it will face the firepower and ire of the Indian Navy,” Singh said on board INS Vikrant off the Goa coast.
The India-built aircraft carrier, commissioned into service barely three years ago, was the centrepiece of the navy’s forward deployment in the Arabian Sea after tensions with Pakistan sharply escalated following the Pahalgam terror strike that led to the May 7-10 military confrontation under Operation Sindoor.
The operation was not just military action, but India’s frontal assault on terrorism, he said, addressing navy personnel on board INS Vikrant. “India will use every method Pakistan can think of against terrorism. We will also not hesitate to use even those methods that Pakistan cannot even imagine.”
The operation triggered four days of strikes and counterstrikes before the two sides reached an understanding on stopping all military action on May 10. Between the launch of the operation on May 7 and the ceasefire, Indian forces bombed nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK, killing at least 100 terrorists, and the IAF struck targets at 13 Pakistani airbases and military installations.
Singh hailed the navy for its “silent service,” saying its aggressive deployment in the Arabian Sea, supremacy and unmatched maritime domain awareness “confined the Pakistan Navy to its own shores.”
He reiterated that Operation Sindoor was not yet over. “It is just a pause, a warning. If Pakistan makes the same mistake again, India’s response will be harsher.”
On Pakistan’s repeated calls for talks, Singh said, “Talks will only be on terrorism and PoK. If Pakistan is serious, it should hand over Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar to India...They are not only on India’s list of ‘most wanted terrorists’; they are also UN-designated terrorists.”
