After the events in Pahalgam, Rajnath declared that "enough is enough," and the Army chief stated that the forces have been given a free hand for Operation Sindoor.

On Saturday, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi shared a detailed timeline of India's response to the Pahalgam attack that occurred on April 22, highlighting that the armed forces were given a "free hand" to act the very next day. The Army chief explained that a meeting took place on April 23, where Defence Minister Rajnath Singh firmly stated, "enough is enough." He noted, "All three chiefs were in agreement that action was necessary. The free hand was granted, allowing us to decide on the course of action. This level of confidence, political direction, and clarity was unprecedented..." General Dwivedi was referring to the initiation of Operation Sindoor, a military operation aimed at dismantling terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as a response to the Pahalgam attack. He emphasized that the political clarity provided by the government significantly boosted morale, enabling "our army commanders to be on the ground and make decisions based on their expertise." Just two days after the meeting, a strategy was developed to target the terrorists, narrowing down to seven out of nine potential targets. "On the 25th, we visited the Northern Command, where we strategized, planned, and executed the destruction of seven out of the nine targets, resulting in the elimination of many terrorists," the Army chief stated. Further detailing the timeline, he mentioned that the first meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Pahalgam attack occurred on April 29. "It’s remarkable how a simple name like Operation Sindoor can unite the entire nation... That’s what truly energized the country... This is why people were asking, 'Why have you stopped?' and that question has been thoroughly addressed," he remarked. These comments from the Army chief came shortly after Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh disclosed that India successfully downed five Pakistani fighter jets, along with one large Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft, during Operation Sindoor.

NEWS