New Delhi

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today unleashed the severest criticism of Pakistan by an Indian leader in the Lok Sabha while speaking about Operation Sindoor in the Lok Sabha.

Initiating the discussion on Operation Sindoor, Singh reiterated that “talks and terror” would not go together as far as Pakistan was concerned. Singh said, “We have basic differences with Pakistan; Peace is our civilisational value; Pakistan is barbaric; we follow Buddha (and not Yuddha) while Pakistan is the global fountainhead of terrorism; we are founded based on values; Pakistan is based on fanaticism and hate of India.”

He also said India should not compare itself with Pakistan because while India was poised to become the third-largest economy in the world in two years, Pakistan didn’t have the means to sustain itself and was begging for money.

Amid peals of laughter, Singh said, “There can’t be a comparison between a frog and a Lion.”

He, however, explained that the sole purpose of launching the operation was to teach a lesson to Pakistan for its continuous use of terrorism as a tool of foreign policy and not to either take away its territory or trigger a war.

He gave details of the targets of the Indian Military and said nine terrorist centres and bases were destroyed deep inside Pakistan and killing about 100 terrorists. To the Opposition’s oft-asked question about the Indian military’s losses in the operation, he said the opposition has been asking wrong questions all through.

“In an examination, what is important is the result, not whether the pencil got damaged or the pen did not work while writing it,” he said amidst applause from the treasury benches.

Although Singh said he was not blaming the Congress government or the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Singh said that if the then government had taken decisive and powerful action against Pakistan and the terrorist groups raised by its establishment after the Mumbai and other terrorist attacks, India would be in a better position today.

Singh said additionally, the UPA government of Manmohan Singh diluted the provisions of the Composite Dialogue that held Pakistan accountable for anti-India terrorist activities on its soil under the Composite Dialogue.

He quoted from the book of the then foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee to prove how Manmohan Singh had abruptly ended the high-level security meeting in the wake of the Mumbai terrorist attacks after foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon suggested that India must attack the headquarters of Jaish-e-Muhammad.

Taking a swipe at the Opposition, Rajnath Singh on Monday said that focus must not remain on small issues when aiming to achieve a higher feat, as it can divert attention from national security.

 "When the aim is to go higher, we should not pay attention to small issues because focusing on issues that remain comparatively small can divert attention from national security," Singh said while addressing the lower house of Parliament on Operation Sindoor.

 He criticised the choice of questions raised by the Opposition over time and opined that queries regarding the felling of Indian planes don't reflect the national sentiments correctly. Singh questioned the Opposition as to why they haven't asked about the destruction of planes on the Pakistani side.

 "It is the job of the ruling side to work while keeping in mind the interests of the people, and the opposition's job is to question the government on issues concerning the public...There have been instances where the opposition has inquired about the number of our planes that fell. I don't think this question by the opposition correctly represents our national sentiment. They never asked us a single time how many planes of the enemy were destroyed by our armed forces," Singh added.

 The Defence Minister asserted that terrorist camps in Pakistan were destroyed during Operation Sindoor, and India has dealt with terrorists involved in the Pahalgam terror attack by eliminating their masters.

 "If they want to pose questions, their question should be whether we destroyed the terrorist camps? The answer is yes. If you have a question to ask, ask this: Were any of our brave soldiers harmed in this operation? The answer is no, none of our soldiers were harmed. If you have a question to ask, ask whether the terrorists who wiped the Sindoor off our sisters and daughters have been dealt with by our forces in Operation Sindoor, eliminating their masters? The answer is yes," Singh said.

Labelling the military operation that was launched by the Indian armed forces as "historic", Singh paid tributes to the soldiers who always remain ready to sacrifice their lives for the nation.

 "The Parliament is ready to discuss Operation Sindoor. First of all, I would like to extend my gratitude on behalf of the Parliament towards brave jawans who have sacrificed for the country whenever required," Singh said in his address to Lok Sabha.

 He emphasised that Operation Sindoor was a "decisive and effective demonstration" of India's policy against terrorism.

Defence Minister said that India successfully neutralized any attack by Pakistan, and that no important assets of the Indian armed forces were damaged during the hostilities between India and Pakistan after the launch of Operation Sindoor on May 7 this year.

He further said that nine terrorist infra sites in Pakistan were hit in precision strikes in which "over 100 terrorists, their trainers and handlers were targeted."

Detailing the hostilities by Pakistan, the Union Minister said that on May 10, the neighbouring country targeted Indian Air Force bases and military establishments through electronic warfare too.

"On 8 May 2025, selected Pakistani air defence systems and sensor networks were targeted with precision-guided missiles. We were focused on self-defence, and it was provocative. Attacks by Pakistan started on 7 May and continued, and on May 10, around 1:30 AM, Pakistan used drones, long-range missiles, and other weapons. They also used electronic warfare technologies, targeting the Indian Air Force's air bases and military cantonments," the defence minister said.

The Minister said multiple bases and areas in Pakistan, including Chaklala, Sargodha, Rafiqui, Rahim Yar Khan, and Jacobabad.

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"The Indian armed forces on the Western front targeted Pakistani air bases, command and control systems, military infrastructure, and our armed forces worked to make the mission successful. Our force targeted Chaklala, Sargodha, Rafiqui, Rahim Yaar Khan, Jacobabad, Sukh, and Bhalari big air bases, and the whole world saw the courage of the Indian forces," he added.

"The entire operation was concluded within 22 minutes," Singh said.