Peace India’s priority, Sindoor warns Pakistan: LG Sinha

Asserting that India has always stood for peace, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday said the recent attack in Pahalgam was nothing short of an "act of war" perpetrated by Pakistan.

He said the Indian armed forces avenged the attack through Operation Sindoor, a mission that he said should serve as a lesson to the neighbour.

"India always advocated for peace. It never wants a war but what happened in Pahalgam was an act of war by terror state Pakistan", Sinha said during his visit to the shelter and lodgement centre at Sahib Bandgi ashram in Mishriwala area of Jammu.

"With Operation Sindoor, we have avenged Pahalgam. I am proud of our soldiers and armed forces. Our war was to teach Pakistan a lesson," he said.

Sinha met the families displaced by the recent cross-border shelling and reassured them of the government's full support.

"Our armed forces have time and again demonstrated their capability to respond decisively to any threat posed by Pakistan. This country harbours and exports terror, causing immense suffering through its actions in our territory,” he added.

He said the nation stands in solidarity with the victims and reaffirmed the Government of India and Union Territory administration's commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all citizens.

Speaking on the retaliatory military action, the LG said, "On the night of May 6–7, our armed forces executed a precise and powerful strike through Operation Sindoor." "The operation not only demonstrated our unwavering resolve and commendable restraint but also demolished terror factories across the border and avenged the killing of innocent civilians in Pahalgam," Sinha said.

"Our armed forces have made it clear: any threat to the safety of our people will be met with such a response that it will be remembered for seven generations in Pakistan," Sinha said.

He also underlined India's firm stance on its sovereignty and territorial integrity and said, "We will never compromise on our sovereignty. Our resolve is to dismantle the entire terror ecosystem from Jammu and Kashmir." He expressed gratitude to individuals and organisations extending help to the affected families. He assured that new bunkers would be constructed as per updated assessments to ensure the safety of residents living near the border.