In a throwback of sorts to his clash with TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee that had marked his didi-oh-didi campaign in the last West Bengal assembly election, incumbent CM made a personal jibe about PM Modi’s estranged wife setting off a vicious cycle of personal attacks. A controversy apparently erupted following PM Modi’s rally in Alipurduar on May 27, where he, without naming Mamata, had sharply criticised her government and the TMC. In response, Mamata at a presser called out Modi’s “politicisation of Operation Sindoor”. She transgressed the political line with a personal jibe: “Remember that every woman has respect. They take sindoor from their husbands… Modiji is talking this way. You are not every woman’s husband… why don’t you give sindoor to your Missus first?” Apparently Mamata attacked Modi on the basis of unfounded media reports that BJP was going to distribute sindoor to women.  Later, realising the inappropriateness of her comment, she immediately apologised while blaming Modi for provoking her. “I am sorry to say this. I shouldn’t get into all this. But you are compelling us now to open our mouths.” Instead of accepting Mamata’s apology, BJP’s State unit chief Sukanta Majumdar and LoP Suvendu Adhikari launched a coordinated retaliation that targeted not just Mamata’s alleged personal conduct but also her humble origins and socio-economic background. The situation reached a disturbing climax in Chinsurah, Hooghly, where BJP women workers forcibly applied sindoor on female police officers who were trying to disperse their protest. The incident drew criticism even from within the BJP’s own state unit. The episode highlights how personal attacks and identity politics have increasingly dominated Bengal’s political landscape, with both major parties crossing traditional boundaries of political propriety and raising serious questions about the health of democratic discourse in the state.

As soon as India’s military confirmed for the first time that it lost an unspecified number of fighter jets in clashes with Pakistan in May, while saying the four-day conflict never came close to the point of nuclear war, there was some jubilation and relief in the Congress. The party without going into the nuances of what Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of Indian Armed Forces Anil Chauhan had made in his conversation with Bloomberg TV saw it as a vindication of what Rahul Gandhi has been asking from Day One about Operation Sindoor– which is about loss of jets. To amplify the admission made by the CDS in Singapore, it rushed Telangana Minister Uttam Reddy, a former IAF officer, to brag before the media how Rahul had been right all along. In the TV interview, CDS Anil Chauhan made it clear that it was not that important jets being down,”but why they were being down.” The CDS was attending the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. At the same time, Chauhan called Pakistan’s claims that it shot down six Indian warplanes as “absolutely incorrect” though declined to specify how many jets India lost. “Why they were down, what mistakes were made…that is important” General Chauhan said. “The good part is that we are able to understand the tactical mistake which we made, remedy it, rectify it, and then implement it again after two days and flew all our jets again, targeting at long range,” he added. The comments are the most direct yet from an Indian government or military official. Elated with Gen Chauhan’s disclosures, Uttam Reddy said, “As it appears very clearly, Rafale aircraft were shot down in the 4-day operations…CDS General Anil Chauhan confirmed this. The government of India should now stop denying this…”

As the nation is gung ho about Operation Sindoor, there is a major political battle about who carried out the first surgical strike on Pakistan? Was it done when the Congress was in office? Or when PM Modi took charge? Congress MP Shashi Tharoor sparked off a controversy with his remark that India’s first across Line of Control (LoC) surgical strike occurred in 2016 after PM Modi came to power. The Indian Army’s records also seem to support Tharoor’s assertion, the Congress quickly distanced itself from his statement. In 2016, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, the then-Army Northern Command Chief, stated that the September 2016 surgical strikes were a “first” of their kind. According to Tharoor, the Uri strike in September 2016 marked a significant shift in India’s approach, where the country breached the LoC to conduct a surgical strike on a terror base. He further noted that the Balakot strike in February 2019 took it a step further, crossing not only the LoC but also the international border to target terrorist headquarters. Tharoor is leading an Indian delegation to the U.S. and four other countries as part of the Centre’s global outreach in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera has been posting on X about how surgical strikes were carried out during the UPA era too and tagging Tharoor on these posts. He also cited Tharoor’s book The Paradoxical Prime Minister published in 2018 where he had questioned the “shameless exploitation” of the 2016 surgical strikes along the LOC with Pak by the Modi government which the Congress had never done. Strongly disapproving of Tharoor, Jairam Ramesh responded to one of the posts by Khera with a poetic swipe at Tharoor saying,”Oh what a tangled web we weave, when we first practice to deceive… “

Several Congress leaders are worried about Rahul Gandhi’s approach towards the government on Operation Sindoor. They believe Rahul’s views are significantly damaging the party’s image as he is obsessed with attacking PM Modi on all issues. Though he is not directly attacking the PM but throwing barbs at External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, party leaders believe Rahul is distraught that Modi did not consider his status as the leader of the opposition (LoP) and did not ask him to lead a delegation of MPs for global outreach. He feels his status is equivalent to that of late PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee who had represented India as LoP in a crucial meeting of UNHRC in Geneva in the 90s. It seems even Mallikarjun Kharge was equally disappointed that as Rajya Sabha LoP he did not get the honour. Instead, the Modi government preferred to include those who had closely worked with the MEA or had articulated sensible views on foreign policy like Manish Tewari. It is being said that as soon as the names were out a flustered RaGa aide had even tried to lecture a senior member of the all-party panel that he must now conduct himself and not toe the government line. The senior Congress leader firmly told the caller– that in such foreign policy missions there is only one line –that is the India line. It is this subtlety that seems to be lost on the likes of Rahul Gandhi and Kharge. Congress sources said it is frustration that is driving Kharge to describe Operation Sindoor as a “chutput war”. More than the war, what is worrying Congress is that Rahul Gandhi is in the grip of two advisers he had recently recruited. Party feels he has gone haywire ever since.

The all-party delegation led by Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MP Supriya Sule to propagate India’s stand concerning Operation Sindoor has started on a positive note. Sule has once again emphasized that for her party, the nation is first, the state second, then the party and finally the family. This is considered a message for the Congress party in particular and the crumbling INDIA front in general. Supriya’s father Sharad Pawar has already made it clear that domestic politics should not have any bearing on the nation’s interests, especially in the international arena. He had expressed this opinion to convey to the Shiv Sena (UBT) that he was not on the same page with it as far as Operation Sindoor was concerned. Of late, there have been consistent media reports that Pawar is likely to reach an understanding with his nephew Ajit Pawar in a bid to merge both factions of the NCP, which he founded in 1999. Ajit has split the party and the larger chunk of the organization is behind him. On the other hand, elder Pawar is in constant touch with PM Modi amidst reports that Supriya will be entrusted with a major portfolio in the Union cabinet as and when some pact is sealed between the two sides. Significantly, the NCP(SP) has refrained from making any adverse comments about Operation Sindoor or Modi.

Was Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray unaware of the inclusion of his party’s Rajya Sabha member Priyanka Chaturvedi in an all-party team visiting various countries to explain India’s side regarding Operation Sindoor? It is now learnt that Priyanka herself informed Uddhav about her selection for the foreign tours by Parliamentary Affairs minister Kiren Rijiju. This created a problem since Uddhav wished to send his trusted lieutenant Anil Desai, who had been elected from central Mumbai to the Lok Sabha. When Uddhav told her that it was his right to select a party nominee for the visits, Priyanka sensed a threat to her opportunity and urged Rijiju to intercede and persuade Uddhav, who finally relented after the minister called up with the request. This has upset Desai as this is the second occasion to miss the bus for him. In 2014, he was a Rajya Sabha member. Following Uddhav’s message, he flew to Delhi to take oath as a member of the Union council of ministers under Narendra Modi but was summoned to return to Mumbai forthwith instead. Desai thus landed in Delhi and took a return flight to Mumbai. The reason for this sudden change has not been divulged so far. The other Uddhav confidant to feel abandoned is MP Sanjay Raut, who had dismissed the Indian government’s initiative as a tourism gimmick aimed at diverting attention from the main issues. He was chided for this stand by veteran leader Sharad Pawar, who told Raut not to mix internal politics with national outreach abroad.

PM Modi ‘s decision to use the services of senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor to present India’s case before other countries became quite obvious from the moment Tharoor openly came endorsing the government’s handling of Operation Sindoor. Tharoor is leading an all-party delegation to the USA, Panama, Guyana, Brazil and Colombia. The Kerala MP’s endorsement of Operation Sindoor has apparently made Rahul Gandhi very angry with him. Rahul is also upset that the government did not pick his choice — Lok Sabha deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi. Accommodating Gogoi whose wife reportedly has close links with a Pak-based NGO, had posed a challenge for the government. Jairam Ramesh said the party was dismayed that among the 4 names only one person — Anand Sharma– had made it. Other 3 Congress leaders Tharoor, Manish Tewari and Salman Khurshid were directly sought out by the government. The Congress first described Tharoor’s action as “crossing the Lakshman Rekha”. Party sources said the attack on Tharoor was organised by AICC Gen Secretary KC Venugopal, a close Rahul Gandhi aide who fancies himself as the next Kerala CM. When Tharoor punctured the Congress’s campaign of having yielded to a third party mediation in the Indo-Pak conflict by asserting that India would have never agreed to third party mediation in its bilateral issues with Pakistan, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh told the media that “When Tharoor saab speaks, it is not the party’s opinion.” With so many fireworks, it remains to be seen if Tharoor will continue to remain with the Congress swallowing the swipe. The Gandhis have not liked him ever since he contested against Kharge. But, if Tharoor bows out to carve out his own space, it could queer the pitch for Congress in Kerala, ahead of assembly polls next year.

PM Modi is very happy that he did not bow to the severe American pressure to give up buying Russian missile systems Jets equipped with Scalp missiles and S-400 Air Defence System; as they have been India’s weapons of choice in both the ongoing war with Pakistan and Operation Sindoor. The significance of the S-400 air defence system was demonstrated on the intervening night of May 8-9 when India effectively stopped an extensive onslaught by the Pakistani army employing drones and other missiles. The Russian S-400 and indigenous Akashteer defence systems successfully repelled every Pakistani attack, preventing any projectiles from hitting their objective. India’s defence forces even neutralised Pakistan’s one Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft in Punjab province of Pakistan. When India chose to purchase the S-400 defence system in 2018 through a $5 billion agreement with Russia, the Modi government was faced with significant criticism from the U.S. The acquisition of the S-400 by India was met with resistance from the earlier administrations of Joe Biden and Donald Trump. There had even been threats of sanctions from the White House under Donald Trump. However, Modi was aware of the importance of the S-400 in improving our air defences against China and Pakistan. Thus far, three S-400 squadrons have been received and are currently in service, with more expected to follow this year. It is the most advanced long-range air defence weapon in the world, with the ability to track and engage several aircraft targets up to 600 kilometres away. It is known as the “Sudarshan Chakra” inside the Indian Air Force and is capable of detecting, tracking and eliminating a wide range of airborne threats, including ballistic missiles, UAVs and fighter aircrafts. Modi has decided to place more orders for S-400 systems.

The Turkish firm Celebi Airport Services that handled the lion’s share of ground handling services at nine major airports in India, lost its security clearance following Turkey’s support of Pakistan over Operation Sindoor. Turkey has been facing massive backlash over its support that even includes Indian tourists cancelling trips to the country. An order from the Civil Aviation Ministry this evening said the security clearance for Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd “is hereby revoked with immediate effect in the interest of national security”. Celebi has two separate entities — Celebi Airport Services India to manage ground handling operations and Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India to oversee cargo services at Delhi International airport. The first carries out several high-security tasks critical to the safe and efficient functioning of airport operations. These include ramp services, which involve directing aircraft on the ground; load control and flight operations to ensure proper aircraft balance; and bridge operations, which manage the passenger boarding bridges connected to aircraft. The company also handles cargo and postal services, and warehouse management. Not just in our social media platforms but also political parties like the Shiv Sena wanted them out of Mumbai airport. Security strategist Sushant Sareen batted for complete removal of Turkish aviation firm “Turkey is involved in hostile anti-India propaganda and is involved in sinister activity to incite and instigate and indoctrinate Indian Muslims,” he said. Aviation consultant Sanjay Lazar noted that Çelebi was given security clearance during the UPA era, post-26/11, and faced opposition from trade unions even then. Of course, speculation that Çelebi is linked to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s family, particularly his daughter, is being denied. It is described as an MNC set up in 1958.

Senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s endorsement of the government’s handling of Operation Sindoor may have won many friends for him across the aisle but his own party unfortunately viewed it as “crossing of the Lakshman Rekha”. At least this was made clear when party leaders Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera were asked about Tharoor’s remark that India would never allow third-party mediation in its bilateral issues with Pakistan. That is because Tharoor’s remark had largely punctured Congress’ attack on the government. Jairam told the media, “When Tharoor saab speaks, it is not the party’s opinion.” The Congress, which assured full support to the Centre in its action against those behind the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, has now asked the government to come clean on what led to the ceasefire and questioned what role the U.S. played in it. The Indian leadership, including PM Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, has not mentioned the U.S. in statements following the ceasefire. For the last few days, the Congress has been asking why the U.S. President announced the ceasefire between India and Pakistan. Some Congress leaders however felt party leadership was completely out of check with reality. It was felt the party was needlessly obsessing about President Trump. “Whether we like it or not, post Operation Sindoor, people are happy with PM Modi. India is happy that Pakistan has been beaten up.” That is precisely what Tharoor articulated and may be the reason why Congress is distancing itself from him. “People aren’t least bothered about Trump or what he claimed,” pointed out an AICC leader from the South. Meanwhile, official Congress briefings are worryingly becoming stuff for Pak TV to exploit.

A day after he made it clear to Pakistan that  it can no longer tolerate nuclear blackmail, PM Modi visited Punjab’s Adampur air base early Tuesday (May 13) morning and met with the pilots and support staff who carried out Operation Sindoor in which India took out nine terror targets deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir on May 7. “It was a very special experience to be with those who epitomise courage, determination and fearlessness. India is eternally grateful to our armed forces for everything they do for our nation,” he shared on X. PM Modi’s surprise visit to the airbase had a strong message. It sent a message that India stood firmly with its armed forces and the PM led the nation in personally thanking them. Even as he guided and monitored Op Sindoor, he thanked the military for its services in his address just a day earlier. The visit also demolished Pakistan’s false claims of having inflicted serious damage to the air base during its overnight strikes. PM Modi who was accompanied to Adampur by Chief Marshal A P Singh spent about an hour with the airmen. Adampur Air Base is the base for the Indian Air Force’s MiG-29 fighter jets. Pakistan had falsely claimed that it had destroyed the S-400 base at Adampur on the night of May 9-10, in response to India’s Operation Sindoor. A photo of the PM saluting the brave airmen with the formidable and frontline S400 Triumf air defence system in the backdrop  decimated those claims.

From Punjab as we move to Purnia in Bihar. What comes to the fore is the endearing back story about Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti, Director General Air Operation (DGMO), the architect of the air operations in the ongoing Operation Sindoor and his father Jeevachhlal Yadav (85), back home in Purnia.  The aging octogenarian was not aware about the backstage heroics and the pyrotechnics his son had masterminded against Pakistan till his next door neighbour called out, asked him to tune into TV news channels on May 11 evening. By the time he got hold of the remote, Air Marshal Bharti was already into the media briefing in New Delhi, sharing details and evidence of the clinical precision with which the Indian Air Force (IAF) struck Pakistani air bases and other crucial targets as part of Operation Sindoor. The father was a bit disappointed that his son had not shared details with him. “He did not tell me anything when he called up and spoke to me last week. He could have at least told me that he would be on TV,” said senior Yadav. However, since that day an ebullient Yadav is glued to the TV. His son was on TV again on May 12 afternoon, as part of the media briefing. Senior Yadav watched him with glee and a sense of pride. Media reports said Air Marshal Bharti has given his parents newfound fame and respect in Purnia. Air Marshal Bharti’s father described him as brilliant since childhood and as someone who always stood first. He went to the NDA, Pune and got commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF in June 1987. He topped the NDA course and was awarded the prestigious “Sword of Honour”.  

Pakistan’s army is presently in a state of shock and awe. Gen Asim Munir failed to understand how Indian missiles and drones entered 100 km deep inside Pakistan and his army did not have a whiff about this attack. How his air defence system failed.  Gen Munir is deeply worried about this major gaffe. The terror hideouts that were destroyed were located in high-security zones. Prime Minister Modi had warned in advance that our armed forces would strike in a manner that Pakistan would never imagine. Terror headquarters of Hafiz Saeed, Masood Azhar and Syed Salahuddin were closely guarded by the Pakistani army near the cantonments and located in congested residential localities. Pakistan expected that many civilians would die in Indian attacks, but the precision bombs fell only on terror camps. Pakistan’s air defence systems were supposed to be strong near these nine sites. These targeted attacks have unnerved Islamabad. The attacks clearly show that the Pakistani generals have no idea about the efficiency and operational capabilities of the Indian armed forces. Meanwhile, it is being said “Operation Sindoor” was a tightly kept secret even within the Union Cabinet. PM Modi involved only Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Other members of the Cabinet Committee on Security — Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman — were kept in confidence. So, Rajnath’s importance has gone up. Modi wanted everything to be kept top secret. Within 25 minutes on May 7, our Army and Air Force destroyed terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) by launching missiles and drones. The headquarters of terror masterminds Hafiz Sayeed and Masood Azhar were reduced to rubble, deep inside Pakistani territory. Masood Azhar lost his sister and nine other family members in the air strike. It was Modi who took the big powers into confidence in advance to control the after effects of...

It was a PM Modi speech that the entire nation was waiting to hear. That was because everyone wanted to know why Operation Sindoor — that was going so well for India — had been called off. Today we finally heard from the horse’s mouth that Op Sindoor has only been paused. The action is not over yet. He laid bare his Pakistan policy —  he spelt out his terms of engaging with a terror sponsoring state like Pakistan post Operation Sindoor. He let it be known to the whole world that no power on earth can make him have a dialogue with Islamabad, post Pahalgam terror strike of May 7. “…If there will be talks between India and Pakistan, it will only be on terrorism and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK)…India’s stand has been clear, terror, trade and talks cannot be done together,” he said. He said “Operation Sindoor is not just a name. It is a reflection of the feelings of millions of people in the country. Operation Sindoor is an unbroken pledge of justice. Late night of May 6 and morning of May 7, the whole world has seen this pledge turning into results.”  A quotable quote from his speech was “Pakistan ki tayyari seema par vaar ki thi lekin Bharat ne Pakistan ke seene par vaar kar diya“. But by far the boldest of what he said, “…No nuclear blackmail will be tolerated anymore…” He said “Terrorist attack on India will have to face a befitting reply, and the response will be on our terms”. The best part of the speech, he made no reference to President Donald Trump or Vice President JD Vance. 

Cessation of the India and Pakistan war, albeit temporarily at the latter’s request, has upset India’s armed forces that were keen on consolidating, annexing tracts of Indian territory under illegal occupation of Pakistan. In a double whammy Pakistan faced a revocation of its civil aviation licenses from regulatory agencies in France in the wake of continued domestic air traffic flown over the country’s airspace while its rogue army continued launching drone, missile attacks on India after Operation Sindoor’s unprecedented success, destroyed launchpads, terrorists training grounds in Pakistan. This even while American civil aviation regulatory agencies chose to ignore the Pakistani infractions that put at risk air passengers by using them as aerial shields to ward off an intensive Indian aerial response to indiscriminate drone and missile attacks upon India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve to launch an all-out war against its delinquent neighbour after failed attempts to impact military installations within India was slowed down untimely after Pakistan’s request for ceasefire brokered by U.S. president Donald Trump, who prematurely started town crying about his mediation having stopped the war. “No one asked Trump to play Santa Claus and look foolish when a segment of the Pakistani armed forces (read army generals from factions opposed to Asif Munir) refused to hold fire, instead continuing aerial warfare against India,” sources revealed. The PM’s resolve to reply with a bomb for every bullet fired by Pakistan towards India is elucidated further by the source thus: “While Islamic terror threatens a thousand cuts upon the non-Muslim world, the Indian adage of sau sunar ki, ek lohar ki was ably demonstrated by India by the 10 big anti-terror strikes launched under Operation Sindoor.”

The stoppage of firing and military action between India and Pakistan has been worked out directly between the two countries. The Pak DGMO initiated the call on Saturday, May 10 at 3.30 pm after which discussions took place and understanding reached. There is no decision to hold talks on any other issue at any other place. Official sources said India agreed to the ceasefire given that the final strikes were Indian ones on Pak air bases. The Pak DGMO reportedly told India counterpart that Pakistan would not undertake any more strikes and specifically requested a ceasefire.  The U.S. duress of withholding IMF loans was specific — the $1 bn provisional release linked to immediate acceptance and balance subject to compliance. The Indus Water Treaty suspension remains unaffected. No information will be shared with Pakistan and India will commence water projects on the 3 northern rivers. The U.S. has accepted India’s change of war doctrine. Any further terror attack will be accepted as an act of war. While U.S. President Donald Trump in a X post claimed the U.S. had mediated long nights of talks between Delhi and Islamabad for the ceasefire, EAM Dr S Jaishankar’s post on X made no reference to Washington’s role. The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while confirming the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, praised PM Modi, Sharif for “wisdom”. The “ceasefire” however disappointed hard-nosed security experts like Brahma Chellaney that PM Modi did not take Operation Sindoor to its logical conclusion ending war against India of Pak military generals through terrorist proxies. Commodore Raghu R Nair said, “While we will be adhering to the understanding reached today, we remain fully prepared and ever-vigilant and committed to defending the sovereignty and integrity of the motherland. Every misadventure by Pakistan has been met with strength and every future escalation will invite a decisive response.”

Pakistan’s continued escalation along the western front through drone incursions and munitions is a matter of grave concern. On May 10 at 5 am, multiple armed enemy drones were detected over Khasa Cantt, Amritsar. Our air defence units responded swiftly, intercepting and neutralising all hostile UAVs. This blatant attempt to violate India’s sovereignty and endanger civilian lives is unacceptable. At a joint MoD-MEA presser, Col Sofiya Qureshi asserted how Pakistan’s spread misinformation on social media, falsely claiming it had targeted the S-400 air defence systems at Adampur, Suratgarh, and Sirsa Air Force Stations, BrahMos base and others.” Following Pakistan’s deliberate targeting of Indian air bases, the Indian Armed Forces responded swiftly with a well-coordinated and strategic operation. In retaliation, Indian armed forces targeted key military infrastructure including technical installations, command and control centres, radar stations, and arms depots. Col Sofiya said precision air-launched strikes and fighter jets were deployed to hit military bases at Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur and Chunian. Additionally, a radar site in Pasrur and the aviation base in Sialkot were precisely struck. Throughout the operation, India ensured minimal collateral damage and civilian impact. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri pointed out that Pak claims about attacking and destroying various places, various military installations and facilities, have been fact checked and are completely false. “The claim about the Air Force Station in Sirsa being destroyed is completely false, as you have seen. The claim about the Air Force Station in Surat being destroyed is completely false again”.  Details of terrorists killed in Operation Sindoor (May 7) that have come out reveal 3 Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives and 2 Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists who managed operations in J&K and Punjab were killed.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has congratulated the Modi government and the armed forces for launching the military action against Pakistan, boosting the nationalistic fervour pervading the nation. “We congratulate the Central government leadership and our armed forces for decisive action Operation Sindoor taken against Pak-sponsored terrorists and their supporting ecosystem following the cowardly attack on unarmed tourists at Pahalgam. This action to serve justice to aggrieved families and the entire country in the brutal massacre of Hindu tourists has enhanced self-respect and morale of the whole country,” the RSS said in its official statement. Expressing solidarity with the government is rare for the RSS, which says “We totally agree that military action being taken against terrorists, their infrastructure and support systems in Pakistan is necessary and inevitable for the security of the country. In this hour of national crisis, the entire country stands with the government and armed forces in spirit and action.” RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had visited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence just a few days prior to the launching of the concerted action by the three arms of the Indian military. Such a visit has taken place after many decades. Earlier Modi had visited the RSS headquarters in Nagpur to pay respects to its founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, the first time the PM had gone there since taking over in 2014. Both visits had evoked a strong political comment. The intent of the visits is becoming visible now.

Colonel Sofiya Qureshi is proud of her association with four Indian states, which in turn are elated to be related with her. Born and brought up in Gujarat, she has a Karnataka link through her marriage with Col Tajuddin Bagewadi of Belgavi. While her father and grandfather have served in the Indian Army, Sofiya’s great grandmother was in the army of Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi. Thus, she is associated, though indirectly, with Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, too. Sofiya and Bagewadi wedded in 2015 after meeting during their army postings. Sofiya is a distinguished officer and discharged varied responsibilities in different assignments in India and abroad. In an interview given in 2017, Sofiya had stated that she was an army officer’s daughter and hence familiar with a serving officer’s life. Her mother wished that of the two sisters, one should join the army while her grandfather, too, would impress upon them that it was everybody’s sacred duty to be prepared to rise for the nation’s defense. Her father Taj Mohamed said, “We are proud of our daughter, who has done so much for India. Pakistan must be decimated.” A post graduate in biochemistry, Sofiya was commissioned in 1999. Coincidentally, Col Tajuddin has been posted at present at Jhansi, thus reviving the age-old connection with the warrior queen of India. There is one more Maharashtra connection, albeit quite remote. It was then defense minister Sharad Pawar who took the decision to induct women in active military service. Col Sofiya has added glory to the success of Operation Sindoor.

In the wake of Operation Sindoor, Pakistan attempted to escalate tensions by launching missile strikes at Indian military installations across J&K, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat. Every single one of those missiles was intercepted or neutralized. None reached its intended target.  India’s rapid, coordinated response showcased the strength of its air defence ecosystem built painstakingly over the past 11 years under PM Modi’s leadership. It also exposed the hollowness of the Pakistani Air defence system. The Integrated Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Grid, S-400 Triumf systems, Barak-8 missiles, Akash Surface-to-Air Missiles and DRDO’s anti drone technologies came together seamlessly to create an aerial shield that held firm. India didn’t stop at defending. It retaliated with speed and precision. Operation Sindoor saw the Indian Armed Forces strike deep into Pakistani territory, destroying a Chinese-supplied HQ-9 air defence unit in Lahore and damaging key radar infrastructure. This level of preparedness didn’t materialize overnight. It was a decade of strategic preparedness. Since 2014, the Modi government has systematically upgraded India’s air defence architecture. It was a day when everyone remembered late former defence minister Manohar Parrikar with gratitude for acquiring 5 S-400 air defence missile systems from Russia in spite of stiff opposition from the U.S.in October 2018. It was the S-400 that played a key role not only in defending but retaliating with speed and precision. Additionally, Israeli-origin Harop drones—now locally built—were deployed to target and destroy air defence assets in Karachi and Lahore. These platforms, combined with the strategic deployment of Rafale fighter jets equipped with SCALP and HAMMER missiles, demonstrated India’s capability to project power with surgical precision.  With airspace secured, the government ensured that its approach to defence has not been about flashy one-offs and that it has been about building...

India strongly protested state funerals for three terrorists killed in ‘Operation Sindoor’. At a Press Conference on May 8, foreign secretary Vikram Misri displayed a picture of Pakistan army personnel attending the funeral of three terrorists killed during Operation Sindoor. He said it was “odd that the funerals of terrorists were carried out with the coffins being draped in Pakistani flags and state honours being accorded.” India confirmed that several terror targets were eliminated in the strikes which Pakistan claimed to be civilians. Images of Pak Army personnel at the funeral of three terrorists killed during Indian military strikes surfaced on May 7. The funeral held in Muridke — approximately 40 km from Lahore — was also attended by members of Jamaat-ud-Dawah, the banned organisation led by Hafiz Saeed. The three individuals, Qari Abdul Malik, Khalid and Mudassir, were killed in the terror group’s headquarters in Muridke. “…I wonder what message this picture actually sends to all of you. This is a question that is worth asking. As far as we are concerned, individuals eliminated at these facilities were terrorists, giving terrorists, state funerals, maybe a practice in Pakistan,” Misri added.  On Pakistan’s propaganda that it downed Indian jets, Misri said, “…There is nothing surprising in it. After all, this is a country that started lying as soon as it was born. In 1947, when the Pakistani army claimed Jammu and Kashmir, they lied not to any random person but to the United Nations that we have nothing to do with it…So this journey started 75 years ago. Pakistan also alleges that we have targeted the Neelum-Jhelum dam in PoJK, it is absolutely fabricated and a blatant lie,” he added.  

At the time of launch of ‘Operation Sindoor’ on May 7 to avenge Pahalgam attacks, India had called its response as “focused, measured and non-escalatory”. It was specifically mentioned that Pakistani military establishments had not been targeted. It was also reiterated that any attack on military targets in India will invite a suitable response. On the night of May7-8, Pakistan attempted to engage a number of military targets in Northern and Western India including Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai and Bhuj using drones and missiles. These were neutralized by the Integrated Counter UAS Grid and Air Defence systems. The debris of these attacks is now being recovered from a number of locations that prove the Pakistani attacks. On May 8 morning Indian Armed Forces (IAF) targeted Air Defence Radars and systems at a number of locations in Pakistan. It has been reliably learnt that an Air Defence system at Lahore has been neutralized. Pakistan has increased the intensity of its unprovoked firing across the Line of Control using mortars and heavy caliber artillery in Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, Poonch, Mendhar and Rajouri sectors in J&K. As many as 16 lives have been lost due to Pakistani firing. Here too, India was compelled to respond to bring mortar and artillery fire from Pakistan to a halt. In a statement, IAF reiterated their commitment to non-escalation, provided it is respected by the Pakistani military. Meanwhile PM Modi chaired a high-level meeting with Secretaries of various Ministries and Departments of the Government of India to review national preparedness and inter-ministerial coordination in light of recent developments concerning national security. Ministries were advised to maintain close coordination with state authorities and ground-level institutions.

The Indian armed forces successfully executed ‘Operation Sindoor’ in the early hours of May 7 carrying out targeted strikes on nine “terrorist infrastructure” sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that had left 26 civilians dead. Shortly after the confirmation of military strikes in Pakistan, the Indian Army in a post on X said, “Justice is served. Jai Hind!”. The best part about the strike was the surprise element. Delhi chose to strike Pakistan in the wee hours on a day when it may have least expected. That’s because across the nation citizens had been asked to prepare for civil defence for a war like situation! Modi, who had vowed stern action to the terror attack had monitored Operation Sindoor throughout the night. In a big boost to military strikes, JeM chief Masood Azhar who is responsible for multiple terror attacks in India admitted that 10 members of his family had been killed in the attack on Jama Masjid Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur. Details of Op Sindoor were shared with the media by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and two women officers from the services — Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh. Colonel Qureshi, who hails from Gujarat clarified that no military infrastructure of Pakistan was struck during the operation. Foreign Secretary Misri said that the probe into the Pahalgam terror attack had clearly established Pakistan links. He also noted  that Pakistan did not take any action against “terrorist infrastructure” after the Pahalgam terror attack. Misri said the Resistance Front, which claimed responsibility for the attack, was connected with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Responding to the attacks,  a Pakistan government’s statement noted that India’s “temporary pleasure will be replaced by enduring grief”.