NEW DELHI: A day after the government released the names of six soldiers killed in action during Operation Sindoor, the Centre on Saturday rejected the opposition’s accusation that defence minister Rajnath Singh had told Parliament in July last year that security forces had suffered no casualties.In a statement, the defence ministry said that Rajnath’s address sought to clarify a dominant narrative that Indian pilots had died during Operation Sindoor.”Certain posts circulating on social media platforms have sought to misrepresent the Raksha Mantri’s address delivered on the floor of Parliament on July 28, 2025. These posts have selectively quoted an isolated portion of the speech to falsely imply that the Raksha Mantri claimed that no Indian soldier lost his life during Operation Sindoor. These are deliberately misleading and factually incorrect,” the statement reads.”Those who have sought to construct a controversy out of the Raksha Mantri’s Parliamentary address have done so by deliberately ignoring the full context of his remarks. It must be recalled that at the time of the Raksha Mantri’s address, a particularly persistent and dominant narrative had taken hold, both in certain sections of the media and on social media, which claimed that Indian pilots had been lost during Operation Sindoor. This narrative was entirely false, yet it was being amplified aggressively with the clear intent of diminishing the success of the operation and demoralising public sentiment. It was in direct reference to this specific and mischievous narrative that the Raksha Mantri made the statement in question. His remarks were, therefore, a targeted and contextually specific response to a falsehood that was gaining dangerous traction at that moment,” it added.”It is also important to place the Raksha Mantri’s address in its full and proper context. His statement in Parliament was, in its entirety, a proud and accurate account of the remarkable success of Operation Sindoor, an operation in which the Indian Defence Forces demonstrated unmatched precision, resolve, and military professionalism. During the operation, more than 100 terrorists and Pakistani soldiers were neutralised, while Pakistani air bases and deployments along the Line of Control also suffered extensive and significant infrastructure damage. The address was a fitting tribute to the courage and capability of the Indian Defence Forces, and a clear message to those who wish India harm,” the ministry further said.This comes after the opposition had accused Rajnath Singh of misleading Parliament with his earlier remarks in the House.On Friday, the government officially released the names of the six bravehearts killed in action during the military operation against Pakistan in May last year.Five of them are from the Army and one from the Indian Air Force: Subedar Major Pawan Kumar from Headquarters, 10 Infantry Brigade; Rifleman Sunil Kumar from 4th Battalion, J&K Light Infantry Regiment; Lance Naik Dinesh Kumar from the 5 Field Regiment; Agniveer Mood Murali Nayak from 851 Light Regiment; Havildar Sunil Kumar Singh from 237 Field Workshop; and Sergeant Surendra Kumar from 39 Wing of the Indian Air Force.The six fallen soldiers will also be honoured permanently at the National War Memorial in New Delhi, where their names will be engraved on the granite bricks of the memorial’s Tyag Chakra (Circle of Sacrifice), ensuring that their supreme sacrifice remains etched in the nation’s memory.Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7, 2025, after the Pahalgam terror attack. Indian armed forces carried out precision strikes on nine terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK), targeting infrastructure linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen. The operation eliminated more than 100 terrorists.Pakistan responded with drone attacks and shelling, triggering a four-day military confrontation.India subsequently targeted radar installations in Lahore and facilities near Gujranwala before both sides agreed to a ceasefire on May 10, following talks between the Directors General of Military Operations. On the first anniversary of the operation last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Operation Sindoor as a reflection of “India’s firm response against terrorism and an unwavering commitment to safeguarding national security.”He said the armed forces displayed “unparalleled courage, precision and resolve” while responding to those responsible for the Pahalgam attack.
