‘They Asked Dharma, We Saw Karma’: Rajnath Singh on India’s Strike Against Terror in Operation Sindoor

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, currently visiting Jammu and Kashmir, delivered a powerful message on India’s counter-terror operations, asserting that Indian forces responded to terrorism not on the basis of religion, but on the deeds of the perpetrators. Referring to the recent Pahalgam terror attack, Singh noted that the terrorists targeted civilians after asking their religion, but India struck back based on their “karma,” launching decisive strikes under Operation Sindoor.

“Terrorists killed innocent people in Pahalgam by asking their ‘dharma’. We killed them by looking at their ‘karma’. That is Bharatiya dharma,” Singh told Indian Army personnel. His remarks came in light of India’s recent cross-border operations, which eliminated over 100 terrorists in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Indian airstrikes also damaged key Pakistani air bases following attacks on Indian military and civilian targets.

Emphasizing that no terrorist or their handlers in Pakistan are safe anymore, Singh said Operation Sindoor had sent a clear and strong message. He also raised international concerns over Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, calling the country “irresponsible” and demanding that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) take control of Pakistan’s arsenal to prevent misuse.

“The whole world has seen how Pakistan has recklessly used nuclear threats. Today, from Srinagar, I ask: can nuclear weapons be safe in the hands of such a rogue state?” he said, underlining the seriousness of the threat.

The Defence Minister's visit aims to review the security situation along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border. His comments came just hours after the Cabinet Committee on Security, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reviewed India’s western border strategy following the intense four-day conflict that ended on May 10.

India's message is clear—acts of terror will be met with swift and firm retaliation.