CHENNAI:
In a firm rebuttal to international media reports, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval publicly dared foreign press to “show me one photograph” that proves any damage was sustained in India during Operation Sindoor. The statement was delivered at the 62nd convocation of IIT Madras, where he also recapped the scope and precision of the military strike.
Doval reaffirmed that the operation, conducted at 1 a.m. on 7 May, targeted nine terrorist strongholds deep inside Pakistan and PoK, lasting a mere 23 minutes, with no collateral damage on Indian soil. “We missed none. We hit nowhere else except that,” he asserted, underlining the mission’s precision and restraint.
He criticised foreign media outlets, including the New York Times, for asserting that India came under retaliatory attacks. “Foreign press said that Pakistan did that and this, You tell me one photograph, one image, which shows any damage, even a glass pane having been broken,” he demanded.
These remarks contrast sharply with foreign reports asserting disruptions at 13 Pakistani air bases, such as Sargodha, Rahim Yar Khan and Chaklala. Doval maintained that, unlike Pakistan, India emerged unscathed.
India’s retaliation with Operation Sindoor followed the 22 April terror attack in Pahalgam, where 26 civilians, including Indians and Nepalese, were killed. Doval emphasised that the military response was “calibrated, measured and non‑escalatory”, aimed solely at terrorist infrastructure.
In coordination with global partners, Doval detailed that he had briefed security counterparts in the US, UK, Japan, Russia, China, and Gulf nations on India’s non‑escalatory strategy. “India had no intent to escalate but was prepared to retaliate resolutely if Pakistan decided to escalate,” he said.
At the same gathering, Doval pressed for consistency in global counter‑terror messaging, denouncing “double standards” and urging collective action against groups like LeT, JeM, Al‑Qaida and ISIS.
He reminded the audience that India maintains an unwavering commitment to sovereignty and strategic deterrence. Reports of damage within Indian territory, he stressed, were misleading and lacked substantiation. “I’m only telling you what the foreign media put out on the basis of images,” he added.
Operation Sindoor ended on 10 May when India and Pakistan agreed to resume a ceasefire, marking a tenuous return to relative calm. However, Doval warned that India remains “closely monitoring” the situation and will “retaliate resolutely” if cross border terrorism persists.
The challenge laid down to the foreign media by “show me one photo” has sparked debate over media accuracy and national narratives, particularly in coverage of sensitive defence operations. Scholars and security experts say it highlights the growing importance India places on verifying claims and shaping its own strategic discourse.
As the government continues to publish images of its precision strikes on terror camps, the onus now lies on foreign outlets to back their assertions, to substantiate claims of damage inflicted on either side.
