Rajnath Remarks Distorted: Defence Ministry

New Delhi: The defense ministry on Saturday rejected allegations circulating on social media that defense minister Rajnath Singh had stated that no Indian soldiers were killed during Operation Sindoor and said such comments were misleading and factually incorrect.

The statement came amid a political row after the names of six armed forces personnel who died during the operation at the National War Memorial were written down earlier this month.

In a statement, the ministry said that in some social media posts, an isolated portion of Singh’s speech in Parliament on July 28, 2025 was selectively quoted to suggest that there was no loss of life during the operation.

“These posts selectively quoted an isolated portion of the conversation to falsely imply that Raksha Mantri had claimed that no Indian soldiers lost their lives during Operation Sindoor. They are deliberately misleading and factually incorrect,” the ministry said.

The controversy was triggered when opposition leaders, including Congress leader Manish Tewari, shared a clip of the minister’s speech and questioned his words. He wrote on social media platform

Responding to criticism, the ministry said the remarks were made in a specific context and referred to what it described at the time as a false narrative of Indian pilots missing in action.

“It must be remembered that during the defense minister’s speech, a persistent and dominant narrative prevailed claiming that Indian pilots were missing during Operation Sindoor. This narrative was completely false,” the ministry said. The ministry said, adding that the minister’s statement was a response to this claim.

In the statement, it was stated that “The Minister of Defense made the statement in question with direct reference to this specific and mischievous narrative.”

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

“His entire statement in Parliament was a proud and accurate account of the extraordinary success of Operation Sindoor,” the statement said.

According to the Ministry, more than 100 terrorists and Pakistani soldiers were neutralized in the operation, while infrastructure damage occurred in Pakistani air bases and deployments on the Line of Control.

The ministry reiterated its stance and said the government was committed to honoring the personnel who lost their lives. “Raksha Mantri and the Government of India remain steadfast in their respect, gratitude and esteem for every member of the Indian Defense Forces…” he said.

He added that the names of the personnel were inscribed on the National War Memorial in memory of their sacrifices and support measures for their families were expanded.

The statement aims to address the political disagreement over the interpretation of the minister’s remarks.