NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday again clarified that if there are talks with Pakistan, they will “only be on terrorism and PoK” and maintained that “if Pakistan is serious about talks, it should hand over terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar to India so that justice is served”.
He asserted: “Both of them are not only in India’s list of ‘Most Wanted Terrorists’, they are also UN Designated Terrorists. Tahawwur Rana, an accused in the Mumbai attacks, has been brought to India recently. Hafiz Saeed is also guilty of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, and justice must be done for his crimes.”
Addressing officers and sailors on board India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, off the Goa coast, Singh refered to Operation Sindoor, saying, “Operation Sindoor is not just military action, but India’s frontal assault against terrorism, and if Pakistan resorts to anything evil or unethical, it will, this time, face the firepower and ire of the Indian Navy.”
Commending the Indian Navy’s “silent service” during Operation Sindoor, the minister said the Navy’s aggressive deployment in the Arabian Sea during Operation Sindoor, along with its unmatched maritime domain awareness and supremacy, confined the Pakistani Navy to its shores.
“Our Western Fleet ships deployed at sea, within 96 hours of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, carried out successful firings of surface-to-surface & surface-to-air missiles and torpedoes on the western and eastern coast. It demonstrated the combat readiness of our platforms, systems and crew and our intent & readiness, forcing the enemy to come into a defensive posture,” he said.
Singh asserted that Pakistan needs to understand that the time is up for the dangerous game of terrorism it has been playing since Independence. “Now, if Pakistan instigates any terrorist act against India, it will have to bear the consequences and face defeat. India will not hesitate. It will use every method to root out the menace of terrorism,” he said.
The minister also alleged anti-India activities being carried out openly from Pakistani soil, and India is entirely free to carry out every kind of operation against terrorists on both sides of the border and the sea.
Naval prowess on display
Commending the Navy’s “silent service”, Singh said the Navy’s aggressive deployment in the Arabian Sea during Operation Sindoor, along with its unmatched maritime domain awareness, confined Pak Navy to its shores.