“Nothing is above national interest” – Vice President Dhankhar says after Pahalgam attack

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar made important comments on India’s response and approach to governance after the terrorist attack in Pahelgaon. Speaking at the book launch of ‘Janata Ki Kahani, Meri Atma Katha’ in Delhi on Friday, he said, “India is no longer dependent on anyone. We have understood our own strength, gained confidence in our own governance. Today, every Indian is realizing the importance of the strength, vision and thought of governance.”

He also said, “We are Indians. Nationalism is most important to us. Personal, political or financial interests – nothing can be above national interest.”

The backdrop to this statement is the horrific terrorist attack in Pahelgaon, Kashmir on April 22, in which 26 tourists lost their lives. After this, India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, through which several terrorist camps were destroyed in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

 In response to this countermeasure, Pakistan launched drone and missile attacks on India's western border on Thursday night. The attacks were carried out simultaneously in different areas. However, India's powerful air defense system—especially the S-400 system—successfully repelled these attacks.

At a joint press conference, Colonel Sophia Qureshi said that on the night of May 7 and 8, the Pakistani army violated Indian airspace multiple times. They tried to infiltrate 36 places using about 300 to 400 drones. Most of the drones were destroyed. Initial investigations revealed that these were mainly Turkish-made Asisgard Sangar models.

The situation is currently very tense, although the international community is giving messages of peace and efforts are being made to defuse tensions through diplomatic talks.