Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday declared that the success of Operation Sindoor, India’s retaliatory strike on terror hubs in Pakistan, was achieved with the blessings of Lord Mahadev, dedicating the operation to the deity during a public rally in his parliamentary constituency.
Addressing a massive gathering in Varanasi, PM Modi said, “This is my first visit to Kashi after Operation Sindoor. Twenty-six innocent civilians were brutally murdered by terrorists in Pahalgam. My heart was heavy with grief. I had vowed to avenge the sindoor of my daughters, and with Mahadev’s blessings, I kept my word.”
“I dedicate the success of Operation Sindoor at the feet of Mahadev,” he proclaimed, drawing loud cheers from the crowd.
Operation Sindoor, followed by Operation Mahadev, was launched in response to the April 22 massacre in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where The Resistance Front (TRF), a Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot, killed 26 civilians.
India’s Operation Sindoor involved precision air and missile strikes targeting nine terror hubs across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The strikes were intended to dismantle infrastructure used by Pakistan-backed terror groups planning attacks in India.
Pakistan responded with drone and missile attacks on Indian territory, triggering a tense three-day military standoff that saw heavy exchanges across the Line of Control (LoC) and along the international border.
Speaking in Parliament during the Monsoon Session, PM Modi emphasized that Islamabad’s aggressive response to India’s counterterror operations had exposed Pakistan’s direct involvement in sponsoring cross-border terrorism.
Operation Mahadev, which followed Sindoor, was carried out on July 28, when Indian security forces neutralized three Pakistani terrorists hiding in the Lidwas forest near Harwan, on the outskirts of Srinagar.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing the Lok Sabha, confirmed that the three killed militants — identified as Suleiman, Afghan, and Jibran — were senior operatives of Lashkar-e-Taiba and key perpetrators of the Pahalgam massacre. Suleiman was named as the chief planner behind the April 22 attack.
“These operations have not only avenged our innocent civilians but also sent a strong message against terrorism,” Shah said, reiterating India’s commitment to eliminate terror networks operating from across the border.
The twin operations have been hailed by security analysts as a significant blow to Pakistan-based terror outfits and a demonstration of India’s resolve to protect its citizens from acts of cross-border terrorism.
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