Operation Sindoor: PM Modi chairs high-level meeting

The meeting had defence minister Rajanth Singh, national security advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, external affairs minister S Jaishankar, and chief of defence staff, General Anil Chauhan, in attendance

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting of senior officials and the three service chiefs to take stock of the situation on the ground on Sunday, a day after Pakistan reneged on the ceasefire agreement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs a high-level meeting at his residence in New Delhi on Sunday. (ANI X)

The meeting had defence minister Rajanth Singh, national security advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, external affairs minister S Jaishankar, and chief of defence staff, General Anil Chauhan, in attendance.

Hours after India announced that it has agreed to a ceasefire and halting military action on “land and in the air and sea” with effect from 5 pm on Saturday, Pakistan carried out a spate of attacks along the border. Blackouts had to be imposed in large parts of Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and some parts of Rajasthan.

On Sunday, India reiterated that there would be no let-up in vigil and the response to any aggression from Pakistan would be met with a befitting response. People familiar with the matter in the government said PM Modi is learnt to have told the service chiefs to strongly retaliate to Pakistan’s aggression and respond with proportionate force.

Conveying that it would not brook any transgression along the border, India asked Pakistan to take “appropriate steps” to address these ceasefire violations and respond with “seriousness and responsibility”. According to people aware of the details, no violations have been reported along the border since last night, but the forces are vigilant.

Rajanth Singh also attended a meeting at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda’s residence later in the day, which included Union home minister Amit Shah. This was the first such meeting of the BJP brass since India initiated Operation Sindoor against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK).

“The meeting was called to draw up a communication strategy for the party and to take stock of the situation on the ground. Earlier, before the ceasefire was announced, the party had planned to take out Tiranga Yatras across the country and organise special prayers in temples, gurudwaras and other places of worship,” said a party functionary aware of the details.