Defence Minister, onboard INS Vikrant, asserts India’s readiness to respond to terrorism with force; lauds Navy’s role in Operation Sindoor
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday (May 30, 2025) said that if Pakistan was serious about holding talks with India, it should first hand over Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) founder Masood Azhar.
Speaking onboard INS Vikrant off the Goa coast, Mr. Singh described Operation Sindoor as “India’s frontal assault against terrorism” and warned that “if Pakistan resorted to anything evil, it would face the Indian Navy’s firepower.”
He said the Navy had transformed into a strategic force, significantly strengthening India’s maritime presence. “It warns the enemy that India is no longer just a regional power, it is becoming a global power,” he said.
Addressing officers and sailors onboard the country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, Mr. Singh said the Pakistani Navy had not ventured out during the operation, asserting that had it done so, it “would have faced the consequences.”
He said Pakistan must recognise that the “dangerous game of terrorism it has been playing since Independence” must come to an end. “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.
Stating that anti-India activities were being conducted openly from Pakistani soil, Mr. Singh said India was “completely free” to carry out operations against terrorists across the border and at sea. “Today, the whole world is acknowledging India’s right to protect its citizens against terrorism,” he added, urging Pakistan to dismantle the “nursery of terrorism operating on its soil with its own hands.
Regarding the extradition of Tahawwur Rana, an accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, the Minister reiterated India’s position on Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar. “Both of them are not only in India’s list of ‘Most Wanted Terrorists’, they are also UN-designated terrorists… Hafiz Saeed is also guilty of the Mumbai attacks, and justice must be done for his crime,” he said.
Responding to Pakistan’s repeated calls for dialogue, Mr. Singh said, “If there are talks, it will only be on terrorism and PoK. If Pakistan is serious about talks, it should hand over terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar to India so that justice is served.”
Highlighting the Indian Navy’s contribution during the integrated operation, he said that while the Indian Air Force struck terror bases across the border, the Navy ensured maritime dominance. Its “aggressive deployment in the Arabian Sea, its unmatched maritime domain awareness and supremacy confined the Pakistani Navy to its own shores,” he noted
Mr. Singh said that within 96 hours of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, ships from the Navy’s Western Fleet conducted successful firings of surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles and torpedoes from both the western and eastern coasts. “It demonstrated the combat readiness of our platforms, systems and crew and our intent and readiness, forcing the enemy to come into a defensive posture,” he said.
Reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s position, the Minister said: “If any terrorist attack takes place on Indian soil, it will be considered an ‘act of war’ and responded to in the same way.” He added that Operation Sindoor was “not yet over; it was just a pause and a warning.”
Commending the armed forces for their swift execution and strategic clarity, he said India was prepared for contemporary warfare, which now extended into cyberspace, data dominance, and strategic deterrence. “It is a matter of pride that the Navy is moving ahead in these areas,” Mr. Singh said.
A statement from the Ministry of Defence noted that in addition to INS Vikrant, Mr. Singh also embarked on other key frontline warships that formed part of the Carrier Battle Group and played a pivotal role in confining Pakistani naval units to the vicinity of the Makran coast.
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