The Defence Minister of India, Rajnath Singh, addressed the people of Kashmir on Thursday for the first time since the beginning of Operation Sindoor. Singh described himself as the “postman” who brought the message of the entire world to the people of Kashmir. He was addressing a gathering at the Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar.
Singh congratulated the people of Jammu & Kashmir for uniting in expressing their anger after the Pahalgam attack, citing that the anger has reached the “enemy”, which the latter can never forget. Offering respect to the army jawans killed in India’s operation against Pakistan, he said they died fighting terrorism and terrorists. He states that the Karma of the terrorists was to kill the innocents, and destroying them was the “Bharathiya dharma”.
While he wished the injured soldiers a quick recovery, Singh didn’t make a mention of the people who had been killed in the drone and artillery attacks on the border across the regions of Rajouri, Baramulla, Uri and Kupwara in Jammu & Kashmir, killing 16 of them, including five children. Several homes were destroyed in the attacks for several days following Operation Sindoor, and families seeking refuge away from the border areas had to leave their homes and livelihoods in search of a safe shelter.
Rebuking Pakistan as a ‘rogue’ country, he criticised that Pakistan’s threats to India were irresponsible. He also raised concerns over the safety against Pakistan’s Nukes and called for international supervision, asking Pakistan to return the Nukes to the IAEA. Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency confirms that there is no radiation leak or release from any nuclear facility in Pakistan.
Earlier, Prime Minister Modi addressed the nation after Trump announced that, under US mediation, both countries had agreed to a ceasefire. Congress demands that the Prime Minister call an all-party meeting and clarify the US mediation position.
