Armed forces were given complete freedom during Operation Sindoor: Rajnath

The Indian Armed Forces were given complete freedom to appropriately respond to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday during his visit to Morocco reported news agency PTIHe also said that Indias actions in response to the attack were measured and nonescalatoryThe defence minister who is on a twoday visit to the North African country made the remarks while addressing the Indian community at RabatAccording to an official readout the defence minister reaffirmed that the armed forces were fully prepared and had been given complete freedom to respond after the cowardly attack on innocent Indians in Pahalgam PTI reportedWe took action not based on religion but on deeds Humne dharm dekh kar nahi karm dekh kar maara hai Singh said quoting the Ramcharitmanas to describe the nations firm yet restrained approach it notedOn April 22 terrorists killed 25 tourists and a local in the picturesque Pahalgam valley In response to the horrendous attack India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 targeting terrorist infrastructure in territories controlled by PakistanThe strikes triggered four days of intense clashes that ended with an understanding on stopping the military actions on May 10Meanwhile during his address on Sunday the defence minister also highlighted the progress achieved by India in the last decade under Prime Minister Narendra Modirsquos leadership Despite geopolitical challenges India has emerged as the fastestgrowing major economy and is poised to enter the top three soon he saidSingh also highlighted Indias digital transformation rapid strides in the knowledge economy and the surge in startups from 18 unicorns a decade ago to 118 to this date PTI reportedApart from this the Union Defence Minister underlined the remarkable growth of Indias defence industry stating that the countryrsquos production has reached Rs 15 lakh crore while the defence exports now exceed Rs 23000 crore with India selling weapons to more than 100 countriesThe defence minister also lauded the hard work dedication and honesty of the Indian communityDelighted to interact with the Indian community in Rabat Lauded their hard work and dedication that defines the Indian community across the world It is praiseworthy how they are contributing to Moroccorsquos progress and at the same time remain connected to their roots in India pictwittercomrJYwuXNpywmdash Rajnath Singh rajnathsingh September 22 2025This is the first time that an Indian Defence Minister has visited Morocco reported PTISingh will be holding a bilateral meeting with his Moroccan counterpart Abdeltif LoudiyiFollowing the talks the countries are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding MoU on cooperation in the field of defenceThe MoU will provide for an institutional framework to expand and deepen bilateral defence engagement including exchanges training and industrial linkages officials saidTies between India and Morocco have gained momentum since King Mohammed VI met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 in IndiaWith PTI inputs