Rajnath Remarks Distorted: Defence Ministry

 New Delhi: The defence ministry on Saturday rejected claims circulating on social media that defence minister Rajnath Singh had stated that no Indian soldiers were killed during Operation Sindoor, calling such interpretations misleading and factually incorrect.

The clarification came amid a political controversy following the inscription of names of six armed forces personnel who died during the operation at the National War Memorial earlier this month.

In a statement, the ministry said certain social media posts had selectively quoted an isolated portion of Singh’s address in Parliament on July 28, 2025 to suggest that no casualties were suffered during the operation.

"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 ministry said.

The controversy was triggered after opposition leaders, including Congress leader Manish Tewari, shared a clip of the minister’s speech and questioned the remarks. "Was he oblivious of the facts when he addressed Parliament? For 13 months later government releases names of six soldier killed during Operation Sindoor," he wrote on social media platform X.

Responding to the criticism, the ministry said the remarks had been made in a specific context, referring to what it described as a false narrative at the time claiming that Indian pilots had been lost during the operation.

"It must be recalled that at the time of the defence minister's address, a particularly persistent and dominant narrative had taken hold... which claimed that Indian pilots had been lost during Operation Sindoor. This narrative was entirely false," the ministry said, adding that the minister’s statement was a response to that claim.

"It was in direct reference to this specific and mischievous narrative that the defence minister made the statement in question," it said.

The ministry maintained that Singh’s address was a comprehensive account of the operation, describing it as a successful mission in which Indian forces demonstrated precision and professionalism.

"His statement in Parliament was, in its entirety, a proud and accurate account of the remarkable success of Operation Sindoor," it said.

According to the ministry, more than 100 terrorists and Pakistani soldiers were neutralised during the operation, and infrastructure damage was inflicted on Pakistani air bases and deployments along the Line of Control.

Reiterating its position, the ministry said the government remains committed to honouring personnel who lost their lives. "The Raksha Mantri and the Government of India remain steadfast in their respect, gratitude, and reverence for every member of the Indian Defence Forces...," it said.

It added that the names of the personnel have been inscribed at the National War Memorial in recognition of their sacrifice and that support measures have been extended to their families.

The clarification seeks to address the political row over the interpretation of the minister’s remarks.