India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh once again urged the international community to stop funding Pakistan while saying that terrorism cannot be left to die a natural death as it’s a threat to humanity. Singh also said that a permanent solution to terrorism is the need of the hour and added that Operation Sindoor is one of the biggest actions against terror infrastructure in India’s history. Singh made the remarks while addressing a dialogue on the topic ‘National Security & Terrorism’, organised in Dehradun, Uttarakhand on June 10, 2025.
“Funding Pakistan means funding the infrastructure of terrorism. Pakistan is a nursery of terrorism. It should not be nourished,” he added.
He said that the Narendra Modi government has reformed the security apparatus of India. “In the last 11 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Government has transformed India’s security apparatus by changing the attitude and the way of action towards every issue related to national security, and the world witnessed this shift during Operation Sindoor,” said Singh.
Branding terrorism as an epidemic destined to perish, the Defence Minister stressed that the menace cannot be left to die a natural death as its existence will continue to challenge collective peace, development and prosperity. He underscored the urgent need for a permanent solution to terrorism.
“Terrorists are not fighters with a cause. No religious, ideological or political reason can justify terrorism. No human objective can ever be achieved through bloodshed and violence….Pakistan has always given shelter to terrorists, trained them on its soil and helped them. It always tries to justify this menace. It is important that we eliminate these terrorists and their entire infrastructure,” said Singh.
Raksha Mantri described Operation Sindoor as the biggest action taken against terrorism in Indian history, which was carried out in response to the cowardly terror attack on innocent people in Pahalgam, J&K. He said the Pahalgam incident was an attack on the social unity of the country, and India took a big & strong action against terrorism and its perpetrators by destroying terror bases & related infrastructure in Pakistan & PoK.
“Following the abrogation of Article 370, J&K heralded into the era of peace and progress. Our neighbours could not tolerate this and executed the terror attack in Pahalgam. Despite Pakistan’s best efforts, it has not been able to stop development in Kashmir. Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway link is a shining example of the Government’s relentless pursuit of progress in J&K. Soon, PoK will join us and say ‘I, too, am Bharat’,” he added.
Rajnath Singh asserted that while the Indian Armed Forces have given a befitting reply to terrorists, it is imperative to prevent terror incidents such as the one in Pahalgam in future. He emphasised on the need to be alert not just at the level of governments, but also at the public level. He described terrorism as a distorted moral reasoning, the biggest curse on humanity, a major threat to peaceful co-existence & democracy, and an obstacle in the path of progress. The fight against terrorism is not just a question of security, it is a battle to protect the basic values of humanity, he added.
Rajnath Singh also expressed shock at the recent decision by the United Nations Security Council to name Pakistan as the Vice-Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Panel, especially when the panel was formed after the 9/11 terror attacks. “Pakistan had sheltered the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. Its land has been used as a refuge for global terrorist organisations. There, terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar roam around openly, and senior officers of Pakistan Army attend the funerals of terrorists. Now, the same country is expected to lead the global community against terrorism. This raises serious questions on the intentions and policies of the international system,” he said.
Singh advised Pakistan to seek India’s help if it is unable to take action against terrorism on its soil. He stated that the Indian Armed Forces are capable of taking effective action against terrorism on either side of the border, which was witnessed by Pakistan itself during Operation Sindoor. Calling Pakistan stubborn, he termed it necessary for the whole world to put strategic, diplomatic and economic pressure on Islamabad to deal with terrorism emanating from its soil.
Rajnath Singh highlighted the growing use of information warfare in the 21st century, urging people to become social soldiers by identifying lies, stopping rumours, and spreading awareness in society. “While data and information are the biggest power, it is also the biggest challenge. During Operation Sindoor, Pakistan conspired to break the morale of our soldiers and citizens through fake videos, manipulated news and posts. Even though military actions have been stopped, information warfare is still going on. If people share false news without thinking, they unknowingly become a weapon of the enemy. It is time that all citizens become social soldiers. The Government is working on cyber security at its level, but every citizen needs to be a ‘first responder’,” he said.
