Sindoor 'Most Successful' Anti-Terror Operation: PM

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Srinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that 'sindoor' has become a symbol of valour following India's response to the Pahalgam terror attack and warned Pakistan that bullets will be answered with cannon balls.

He described Operation Sindoor as the biggest and most successful anti-terror operation in the country's history.

“Sindoor has now become a symbol of valour in the country. If you fire bullets, then rest assured that they will be answered with cannon balls,” Modi said at the Lokmata Devi Ahilyabai Mahila Sashaktikaran Maha Sammelan held on the occasion of the legendary queen's 300th birth anniversary.

“India is a country of culture and traditions, and sindoor is a symbol of women power in our tradition. Hanuman ji, who is immersed in Ram Bhakti, also sports sindoor. We offer sindoor in Shakti Puja. This sindoor has become a symbol of bravery,” he added.

Earlier this month, the Indian armed forces carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba's base in Muridke. These military strikes were carried out under Operation Sindoor, two weeks after the massacre of 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.

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Sindoor, or the vermillion mark, symbolises the marital status of Hindu women, and its use as the operation's name resonated powerfully in light of the April 22 Pahalgam massacre. In that brutal attack, terrorists targeted and killed men - including newlyweds - after verifying their religious identity.

“In Pahalgam, terrorists not only shed the blood of Indians, but also attacked our culture. They tried to divide our society, and the biggest thing is that the terrorists challenged the women power of India,” Modi said.

“This challenge has become the death knell for the terrorists and their handlers. Operation Sindoor is the biggest and most successful operation in India's history against terrorists. While the Pakistan army could not even imagine it, our army destroyed the terrorist hideouts,” he added.

Modi also highlighted women's growing role in governance:“This time, 75 women have become members of Parliament. Our effort is to increase this number. This is the spirit behind the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. Women reservation in Parliament and state assemblies has now been achieved after a long wait.”

The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, also known as the Women's Reservation Bill, is landmark legislation that reserves one-third of the total seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies for women.

“This means that the BJP government is empowering our sisters and daughters at every level and in every field,” Modi said.

He further said the world is witnessing the capability of India's daughters in national defence today.

“For this, the government has taken many steps in the last decade. From schools to the battlefield, the country today has unprecedented faith in the bravery of its daughters,” he added.

Referring to Lt Cdr Roopa A of the Indian Navy and her partner Lt Cdr Dilna K, who returned to Goa after successfully circumnavigating the globe in a sailing boat, the Prime Minister said these two brave Navy officers completed a sea voyage of about 250 days.

“They circumnavigated the earth by travelling thousands of kilometres in a boat powered not by a motor but by wind. Imagine staying at sea for 250 days,” he said.

Modi also remembered Ahilyabai Holkar as the guardian of India's heritage who protected temples and pilgrimage sites during times of attack.

“Our government is working on the mantra of 'Nagrik Devo Bhava' (citizen is god), which was the philosophy of Ahilyabai Holkar,” he added.

Ahilyabai Holkar, the revered queen of the Holkar dynasty in 18th-century Malwa, is remembered for her exceptional governance, commitment to social welfare, and contributions to culture and spirituality.

Earlier in the day, Modi released a commemorative stamp and Rs 300 coin to mark her 300th birth anniversary.

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