Does govt want to get sentimental benefits? Prithviraj Chavan on codename 'Operation Sindoor'

Mumbai | Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said on Wednesday that a war cannot be won on emotions and wondered whether the name "Operation Sindoor" was picked by the government for scoring "sentimental benefits".

He also said the government should share details with people regularly to check the spread of misinformation on social media in the aftermath of the destruction of terrorist camps in PoK and Pakistan by Indian armed forces.

Commenting on the name "Operation Sindoor", the former Union minister said a war is fought using guns, aircraft, and bombs, and not through symbolism or sentiments.

"To avoid misinformation and the spread of false agendas on social media, the government should share details with people regularly," he told PTI Videos.

The government might have thought they would get some "sentimental benefits", he said when asked about the codename "Operation Sindoor".

"A war is fought with bombs, guns, and aircraft, and not on symbolism or tokenism. A war cannot be won through the names of the operation. The name of the operation is fine....Indian government might have thought that giving this name (Sindoor) to the operation, they might derive some sentimental benefits," he said.

Names of the operations don't matter, ultimately, you have to go to Pakistan and show that you have destroyed terrorist camps, he added.

Chavan welcomed two female defence officers, addressing the media on the operation conducted by the armed forces.

"We welcome women officers being assigned the responsibility to address the media briefing. However, tokenism and symbolism won't work. We need solid action, and in the early morning, we have shown that we won't tolerate terrorism at all, like the US," he said.

When reminded that some opposition parties had asked for proof of the airstrike in the past, Chavan said, "(It's) Because the world needs proof of any action you do, it needs solid proof".

Pahalgam victim Vinay Narwal's family says Operation Sindoor aptly named; thanks govt for action

Chandigarh | Operation Sindoor, the name is so apt. That was what the family of Navy officer Vinay Narwal, who was killed by terrorists in Pahalgam, felt on Wednesday after the armed forces pounded terror infrastructures in Pakistan and PoK.

His father Rajesh Narwal said the Narendra Modi government has sent a strong message and now the perpetrators of the April 22 massacre "will think 100 times" before repeating such attacks.

Himanshi, who was widowed during her honeymoon, said the operation signifies her late husband's spirit that terrorism and hatred will not be tolerated by India.

She thanked the government for the name it gave to the operation retaliating the terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 tourists in the verdant meadows of Baisaran two weeks ago and urged the government to put a full stop to terrorist activities.

"I am thankful to the government. I also request them to end it here. Make sure that this is just the start of the end of terrorism in this country. Make sure no one ever has to go through what I am enduring right now," Himanshi said.

The photo of navy officer Vinay Narwal's body lying on the ground in the lush Baisaran meadows of Pahalgam with newlywed Himanshi slumped beside with an empty gaze has become the haunting symbol of the ghastly terror attack.

She said when Vinay Narwal had joined the armed forces to protect peace in this country. "He wanted to make sure that innocent lives are not lost. He wanted to make sure there was no hatred and terror," Himanshi added.

India's armed forces destroyed nine terrorist infrastructures, including that of Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba, in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in a 25-minute-long missile and drone strike early on Wednesday.

Vinay Narwal's father Rajesh said, "When the Pahalgam incident happened, you (media) came to me asking what I expected from the government. My answer was that I have faith in our government and today, the government has justified that trust."

"I had said that such a thing (retaliatory strikes) has to be done so that such cowardly (terror) acts are not repeated... the strikes carried out on the terror targets will resonate in their minds forever," he said at his residence in Karnal.

Responding to a question on the mission's name, the grieving father said, "This operation has been aptly named Operation Sindoor."

The slain navy officer's mother, Asha said, "It is a very good thing that (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi has avenged the (Pahalgam) attack. I am with them (the government), people are with them, and our entire family is with them".

"I want to tell our armed forces to give a befitting reply so that such incidents (like Pahalgam) do not recur," she said.