BJP MP Sambit Patra addresses press conference over Operation Sindoor
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday declared that Operation Sindoor, a covert mission targeting terrorist groups in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), was entirely successful, with Islamabad caught completely off guard. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra stated that all objectives of the operation were met, with over 100 terrorists eliminated, including a key figure involved in the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC 814. He emphasized that the mission was aimed at destroying terror bases, neutralizing militants, and delivering a firm message against terrorism. “For the first time, the world witnessed that no part of Pakistan is beyond India’s strategic reach,” Patra said, adding that Pakistan’s air defense system failed to respond effectively. According to him, 11 Pakistani military air bases were neutralized and around 50 Pakistan Air Force personnel were killed. India had released a list on Sunday naming the terrorists killed in the strikes, along with the targeted air bases. The Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, confirmed the identities of several high-value targets eliminated during the operation. Patra reiterated that the operation was a calculated, restrained, and precise military strike, strictly targeting terrorist elements, unlike Pakistan, which reportedly targeted civilian areas. Addressing a query about the U.S. role in the ceasefire announcement on Saturday, Patra clarified that Pakistan had initiated the call for a halt. “India’s DGMO received a request from his Pakistani counterpart for de-escalation,” he said, describing it as a mutual “understanding” rather than a formal agreement. India reaffirmed its zero-tolerance stance on terrorism, declaring that any future attacks would be treated as acts of war. Patra further noted that India has taken both military and diplomatic measures to weaken Pakistan’s capacity to support terrorism. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for orchestrating a strategy that also includes leveraging India’s control over Pakistan’s water resources. “Nearly 90% of Pakistan’s water supply, and 80% of its agricultural water, comes from India. Restricting this flow would severely impact Pakistan’s economy and agriculture,” Patra said. Following the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan.
