Operation Sindoor Symbolises India’s Strategic Willpower, Not Just Military Strength: Rajnath Singh
New Delhi, May 11: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday declared that Operation Sindoor was not merely a military operation but a reflection of India’s united political, social, and strategic willpower to fight terrorism.
Addressing the virtual inauguration of the BrahMos Integration and Testing Facility Centre in Lucknow, the Defence Minister said that the operation sent a clear message that “even land across the border is not safe for terrorists and their masters when India chooses to act.”
Highlighting the resolve behind the recent military strikes in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, the Minister said, “Our Armed Forces ensured justice for the innocent families who lost their loved ones. India’s action has shown the world that this is a New India—one that will not tolerate terrorism on either side of the border.”
Recalling India’s strong responses in the past—surgical strikes post-Uri and air strikes post-Pulwama—he said Operation Sindoor marks another milestone in India’s zero-tolerance approach to terrorism. He accused Pakistan of deliberately targeting civilian areas and religious sites, including temples and gurudwaras, whereas India, he noted, exercised restraint and struck only military targets with precision, even reaching Rawalpindi, the Pakistani military’s headquarters.
The Defence Minister also used the occasion to underscore the Modi government’s unwavering push for self-reliance in the defence sector. He said the newly inaugurated BrahMos facility in Lucknow is not only a technological advancement but also a socio-economic driver for Uttar Pradesh. “This centre will generate direct and indirect jobs, empower youth, and strengthen the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC),” Singh said.
The BrahMos missile, he added, is more than just one of the fastest supersonic cruise missiles—it is a symbol of India’s technological strength and a deterrent to its adversaries. “It is a message that we are not only self-reliant but also ready to make for the world,” he said.
The complex, set up at a cost of approximately ₹300 crore, will integrate booster subassemblies, avionics, propellant systems, and ramjet engines. It also houses design and administrative blocks and will support ancillary industries and skill development initiatives in the region. The facility is expected to accelerate local employment, with 36 trainees already selected for operations—five of whom were felicitated at the launch by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Speaking on the occasion, CM Yogi hailed the Defence Minister’s leadership and said, “Lucknow is now on the path to becoming a major defence manufacturing hub. Operation Sindoor shows that India no longer tolerates terrorism. It crushes it.”
The event was attended by Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brijesh Pathak, DRDO Chairman Dr Samir V Kamat, BrahMos Aerospace DG Dr Jaiteerth R Joshi, Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh, and several other senior officials and public representatives.
As India commemorated National Technology Day, the Defence Minister called the inauguration of the BrahMos facility a landmark moment in India’s journey toward defence self-reliance and a potent symbol of the country’s growing might—both on the battlefield and in the global defence manufacturing arena.
