Ajit Doval said India’s generosity and restraint should not be mistaken for weakness while speaking about Operation Sindoor.
He stressed that India had demonstrated its resolve to respond firmly to threats when necessary.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has spoken publicly for the first time about India's May 7, 2025 retaliatory strikes, as News 18 reported. Doval features in a rare interview discussing the 88-hour military response.
This account will appear in the upcoming docu-series 'Declassified: Operation Sindoor'. Discovery channel will premiere the programme on August 15 at 9 pm to mark India's Independence Day. It will broadcast exclusively on Discovery and Discovery Plus.
Operation Sindoor was India's retaliatory strike against terror infrastructure. During the May 2025 mission, troops struck various sites throughout Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Doval Warns Pakistan Army
The National Security Advisor warned Pakistan against state-sponsored terrorism. He explained the core message India intended to send through the military response.
"We wanted Pakistan army to realise that this support to terrorism or inability to take effective action against the terrorists is something which is not tolerable to us," Doval said.
He outlined India's resolve to protect its sovereignty. "Once anything starts, we are willing to go as far as it is necessary for a nation to preserve its sovereignty, and there is no limits on that. We fight till the last drop of the blood," he added.
Doval said India's philosophies of Sarve Dharm Sambhav and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam were historically misinterpreted as weakness. He clarified this stance, saying that believing in the good of all does not mean national interests or citizens can be harmed without consequences.
"The word is very clear – India’s generosity or India’s being more tolerant should not be mistaken for its weakness," Doval said.
Pahalgam Terror Attack
Operation Sindoor followed a deadly assault in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. On April 22, 2025, militants from the Pakistan-based 'The Resistance Front' attacked Baisaran Valley in Pahalgam.
The organisation is linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. The Pahalgam attack killed 26 tourists, including 25 Indian citizens and one Nepali citizen.
The government approved the military response the following month. The attack prompted India to launch Operation Sindoor in May 2025 to correct the perception of Indian weakness.
Inside The Military Decision
The forthcoming series presents direct testimonies from top-ranking defence and strategic leaders in India. It outlines the strategic thinking behind the cross-border strikes.
The series explores the decision-making process and the practical challenges involved in implementation. It also addresses questions regarding the scope of the mission.
The programme examines why India did not go further against terror havens located in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
