NEW DELHI – On Monday, July 28, 2025, Kiren Rijiju, India’s Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, used the famous Hindu epic Ramayana to explain and defend India’s military activities against Pakistan, notably “Operation Sindoor.” His statement came only a few hours before a planned debate in the Lok Sabha about the counterterrorism operation during the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament.
Rijiju compared India’s current military response to the ancient epic in a post on X (previously Twitter): “When Ravan crossed the Laxman Rekha, Lanka burned.” When Pakistan crossed India’s red lines, terrorist camps were set on fire!
Rijiju’s strong metaphor is meant to show that India is firmly against terrorism that crosses borders and to set the tone for the parliamentary discussion on “Operation Sindoor.”
India started “Operation Sindoor” in early May 2025 as a strong military response to the terrible terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, 2025, that killed 26 innocent tourists. On May 7, before dawn, the operation featured pinpoint strikes on nine terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). India has said that these measures were “focused, measured, and non-escalatory,” and that they were meant to destroy terrorist infrastructure and stop terrorists who were thought to be planning to sneak in.
The Ministry of External Affairs had already told Parliament that “Operation Sindoor” was started as a response to the “barbaric attack carried out by terrorists supported by Pakistan.” India’s response was measured, but Pakistan then used drones and missiles to attack Indian civilian areas and military bases, which the Indian armed forces strongly opposed. On May 10, 2025, Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations talked to his Indian counterpart, and they agreed to a truce.
The discussion in Parliament about “Operation Sindoor” is likely to be thorough, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh leading the way in the Lok Sabha. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar are also anticipated to take part, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to step in. The goal of the conversation is to give a full description of the operation, how well it went, and India’s overall plan for fighting terrorism.