Defence Minister: Terrorists acted on their Dharma, Armed Forces on their Karma

New Delhi, Jul 4: “Terrorists killed innocent civilians in Pahalgam based on their Dharma, while the Armed Forces, through Operation Sindoor, destroyed the hideouts of terrorists based on their Karma,” said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday, asserting India’s commitment to punishing terrorism with firm and calibrated action. Speaking at an event commemorating the 128th birth anniversary of freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju, Rajnath Singh highlighted the Indian Armed Forces’ measured response following the Pahalgam terror attack. He said the forces displayed both patience and restraint during Operation Sindoor, which targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), ensuring civilian lives were not harmed.

The defence minister reaffirmed that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the Armed Forces are empowered and prepared to respond decisively to future threats.

Linking the spirit of modern military action with the legacy of Alluri Sitarama Raju, Rajnath Singh praised the revolutionary as a "warrior-saint" who embodied courage, clarity of purpose, and grassroots leadership. “Alluri Ji was not just a revolutionary; he was a movement. His guerrilla resistance despite limited resources remains a shining example of courage driven by principle,” Rajnath Singh said, adding that his life teaches the nation to stand up against injustice as a matter of Dharma. The Defence Minister also highlighted the government's continued focus on tribal empowerment, echoing Alluri’s lifelong struggle for the marginalised. He pointed to recent initiatives such as the PM Tribal Development Mission, Skill India, and the National Sickle Cell Anemia Elimination Campaign as efforts aimed at dignity-led inclusion rather than charity. Rajnath Singh said that India’s tribal communities, once deprived of rights during colonial rule, are now central to the country’s growth story.