Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday complimented the bravery of the Indian Armed Forces, as mentioned by one of the senior commanders of Jaish-e-Mohammad recently that Operation Sindoor brought destruction to his organization.
Addressing an event in Hyderabad, Rajnath claimed that the strength of India had grown manyfold under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and there was no place for any force to contest the sovereignty of the country.
"The commander of the terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed has admitted that during the Bahawalpur attack during Operation Sindoor, the family of dreaded terrorist Masood Azhar was destroyed. This was the bravery and courage of our Indian Army soldiers. A video of this was also released yesterday. Under the leadership of our Prime Minister Modi, India's strength has grown even further. Therefore, no power can dare to challenge India's sovereignty," the defence minister said.
He also rebutted suggestions that any outside intervention had an impact on the India-Pakistan ceasefire. Rajnath explained that Operation Sindoor was suspended, not stopped for good, and would continue in case of another terrorist attack.
"There are some people who say that this ceasefire between India and Pakistan came to be put in place due to someone's interference. I want to make this clear: our action against the terrorists was not postponed because of anyone's interference. Operation Sindoor has been postponed. If any terrorist incident occurs, Operation Sindoor will resume," Rajnath said.
"I want to tell this with confidence to the people of the entire country that regarding stopping this ongoing operation between India and Pakistan, some people claim that we have stopped it, but no one has stopped it," he added.
His comments come after a video release by Jaish commander Masood Ilyas Kashmiri in which he confessed that the counter-terrorist operation directly targeted the family of the head of the outfit, Maulana Masood Azhar.
In the viral video, Ilyas declared, "In the defense of this country, we accepted militancy and went to fight in Delhi, Kabul and Kandahar in order to safeguard its borders. After leaving everything behind, on May 7, Indian troops attacked in Bahawalpur, destroying the family of Maulana Masood Azhar."
The video captures Ilyas delivering a microphone address in a curt voice, accompanied by armed bodyguards.
Earlier during the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also mentioned the video during a rally in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar on his 75th birthday. He praised the army for Operation Sindoor, which he claimed "brought Pakistan to its knees within the blink of an eye."
Addressing a gathering at Madhya Pradesh's Dhar on his 75th birthday, PM Modi said: "Abhi kal hi desh aur duniya ne dekha hai fir ek Pakistani aatanki ne ro ro kar apna haal bataya hai. Ye naya Bharat hai. Ye kisi ki parmanu dhamki se darta nahi hai... Ghar mein ghus ke maarta hai. (Just yesterday, the nation and the world saw yet another Pakistani terrorist crying and revealing his condition. This is the new India — one that does not fear anyone’s nuclear threats)."
"The nation gives utmost priority to the security of Mother India. Pakistani terrorists removed the Sindoor of our sisters and daughters. We did Operation Sindoor and destroyed terror camps. Our brave armed forces brought Pakistan to its knees within the blink of an eye. Just yesterday, the nation and the world witnessed another Pakistani terrorist tearfully narrate his ordeal. This is a new India. It fears no one's nuclear threats," he added.
