 "Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during a debate in the Lok Sabha on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, at the Monsoon session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Tuesday, July 29, 2025. PTI")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday during a special discussion on India’s bold and successful Operation Sindoor launched in response to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam said that no country stopped India from defending itself.
“Out of 193 countries listed in the United Nations, only three supported Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. Whether it is Russia, France, or the United States. Name any country and they all supported India’s right to defend itself,” Prime Minister Modi said.
Operation Sindoor: A swift and precise military campaign
Operation Sindoor was a swift and precision-driven military campaign launched by India on the night of May 7, 2025, in retaliation for the devastating Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians on April 22. The operation was executed as a joint effort involving the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, Indian Navy, and intelligence agencies.
It lasted approximately 23 minutes, during which nine terrorist infrastructure targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir were struck. These included facilities linked to terror outfits such as Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. Over 100 terrorists were neutralised.
Lack of support from Congress party
“We got world support, but it’s unfortunate that we didn’t get support from the Congress party. After the April 22 Pahalgam attack, within just three or four days, the Congress targeted me by asking, ‘Where is the 56-inch chest? Where is Modi?’ They thought they had won. They were doing politics over the deaths of innocent people in Pahalgam,” the prime minister said.
“The Congress party doesn’t trust the Indian military. That’s why they are raising questions about Operation Sindoor. You can take headlines in the media, but you won’t be able to make a place in the hearts of the people. When the surgical strike happened, our aim was to enter and destroy their launching pads. During Balakot, we aimed to destroy terrorist training centres. During Operation Sindoor, our aim was to destroy the terror epicentre,” he said.
“The country is seeing that India is fast becoming self-reliant. But Congress is dependent on Pakistan for its issues. I was listening to the discussion that happened so far. In today’s information warfare, narratives play an important role. These are all attempts to demoralise the Indian military,” Prime Minister Modi said.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“Congress has become the spokesperson for Pakistan’s propaganda. Our forces conducted a surgical strike, and the Congress party asked for proof. But when they saw the mood of the country, they changed their tone and said, ‘What’s big in this strike? We also did it.’ In Balakot, we carried out an air strike. But they (Congress) did not react to it. Instead, they asked for a photo. Pakistan and the Congress both kept asking for a photo,” the prime minister said.
“Now, after Operation Sindoor was executed, they are asking why it was stopped. Not only me, but the whole country is also laughing at you,” Prime Minister Modi said, seeking to show Congress their political reality.
The prime minister also highlighted Congress’ weak response to terrorism. “Just after the 26/11 attack, the UPA government started talks with Pakistan,” he said. Prime Minister Modi accused the Congress of wanting to withdraw Indian troops from the Siachen Glacier and of granting Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to Pakistan despite its continued support for terrorism. “Pakistan kept sending terrorists to India. They continued playing a bloody game,” he said.
Return of captured soldiers and political reactions
“When the IAF pilot (Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, now Group Captain) was caught, Pakistan was celebrating. But even here, there were some people who said, ‘Now Modi is in trouble.’ But we brought Abhinandan back, and the Congress was forced to go silent,” Prime Minister Modi said.
“After Pahalgam, one of our BSF troopers was caught by Pakistan. Then again, they thought it was a big issue. Now Modi will be trapped. Their social media made a big issue out of it. The BSF soldier returned too. In Pakistan, terrorists are crying and here too, some people are crying,” the prime minister said, taunting the Congress.
National security lapses under Congress rule
Modi slammed the Congress party for its handling of national security issues, claiming, “Congress has no vision on national security. It has compromised on it repeatedly.” He questioned their recent criticism of the government’s operations in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), stating, “They are asking why PoK wasn’t taken back. Under whose government was it lost in the first place? The answer is clear. When I speak of Nehru, the Congress system gets rattled.”
Congress ignoring Kargil Vijay Diwas
Prime Minister Modi lamented that the Congress party did not observe Kargil Vijay Diwas.
“The country observed Kargil Vijay Diwas. The country knows Congress has, till now, not accepted Kargil Vijay Diwas. In Doklam, from whom Congress leaders took briefings is an open secret. The whole world knows about it. Their comments are similar, down to the full stops and commas, to those of Pakistan. Congress gave a clean chit to Pakistan,” he said.
Delayed military modernisation and dependency on imports
Prime Minister Modi also criticised previous governments for their negligence in equipping India’s armed forces. He said that the forces had to wait for decades to receive sophisticated weapons. “Even for small weapons, they were dependent on other countries. Bulletproof jackets and night vision cameras were also not available. There was a scam in everything,” he remarked.
He added that India used to hesitate when it came to military action because of a lack of weapons and ammunition. “Doors were closed to research and manufacturing,” the prime minister said, highlighting the lack of support for indigenous defence innovation.
Post-Independence blunders and territorial losses
Modi lamented the long-term effects of post-independence decisions, saying, “After independence, for the decisions that were made, the country is still paying the price for them.” He referred to the loss of Aksai Chin, saying, “It was called barren land… and we lost 38,000 square kilometres.”
He cited the 1965 Hajipir Pass operation, where Indian forces captured the strategic location but the then government returned it to Pakistan. “At the very least, Kartarpur Sahib could have been taken, but Congress didn’t do that either,” he said. “There was an opportunity to take back PoK, but they did not. They could have at least taken Kartarpur.”
The prime minister strongly criticised the Indus Waters Treaty, calling it “a big betrayal.” He questioned, “Who signed the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan?” and answered, “It was Nehru who started it.”
Prime Minister Modi also recalled that the Congress government had gifted Katchatheevu Island to Sri Lanka, leading to ongoing difficulties for Indian fishermen. “They could have even handed over Siachen to Pakistan. Congress’s love for Pakistan does not stop,” he added.
He further stated, “We ended the one-way traffic from Pakistan, closed the Attari border and revoked MFN status.” Prime Minister Modi said that Nehru and the Congress chose to go to the World Bank on the issue and agreed to give 80 per cent of the water to Pakistan. “What sort of diplomacy was that?” he asked.
He emphasised the developmental loss caused by the treaty, saying, “If there had been no such treaty, there would have been more development. Electricity could have been produced. Not just this, Nehru also offered a huge amount of money to Pakistan to build canals. Pakistan even made him give in writing that India cannot clean its canals without consulting them.”
Strong message on national security
Concluding his speech, Prime Minister Modi said, “Congress should stop giving a clean chit to Pakistan. We will not allow our future generations to suffer. We are committed to eliminating terrorists at their origin. Operation Sindoor is not over.”