Agencies | New Delhi:
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has asserted that India’s restraint and tolerance should never be mistaken for weakness, saying the country is prepared to take risks and respond forcefully when its national security is threatened.
Speaking in the upcoming two-part Discovery docuseries “Declassified: Operation Sindoor”, Doval said the primary objective of the 88-hour military operation was to destroy enemy camps, particularly those linked to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
“We had decided the objective of the operation as destruction of the enemy camps, particularly those who had been responsible for the Pahalgam attack,” Doval said in what was described as his first interview since Operation Sindoor.
Delivering a strong message about India’s approach to national security, he added: “India’s generosity or India being tolerant should not be mistaken for its weakness. India can take risks, India can hit hard, irrespective of the consequences.”
The docuseries brings together senior military and national security officials to provide accounts of the decisions, planning and events surrounding Operation Sindoor, Discovery said.
According to the broadcaster, Doval provides an insight into the decision-making process and the strategic resolve behind India’s military response.
Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 last year, following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22. Indian forces carried out precision strikes against what New Delhi described as terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The operation subsequently expanded into a wider military confrontation between India and Pakistan, with both sides carrying out attacks and counter-attacks.
The conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours continued for nearly 88 hours before India and Pakistan reached an understanding on the evening of May 10, bringing the hostilities to a halt.
Doval’s remarks in the documentary underscore the strategic message New Delhi sought to convey through Operation Sindoor—that India would retain its policy of restraint but would respond decisively to attacks against its citizens and national interests.
His comments also emphasise the government’s position that tolerance and dialogue should not be interpreted as an inability or unwillingness to use military power when required.
The documentary is expected to provide a behind-the-scenes account of the operation through the perspectives of senior officials involved in the decision-making process.
“Declassified: Operation Sindoor” is scheduled to premiere on Saturday at 9 pm on Discovery and the Discovery+ streaming platform.
