Rajnath Singh tears into Pakistan; asks if nuclear weapons are safe in the hands of such a 'rouge nation'

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who arrived in Srinagar on Thursday for a day-long visit to review the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir following Operation Sindoor, called Pakistan a "rouge nation" and sought to know if nuclear weapons are safe in the hands of such an irresponsible country.

Singh said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should take charge of Pakistan's nuclear weapons.

India has made it clear to the whole world that we can go to any extent against terrorism, the defence minister said and added that terrorists and their masters hiding in Pakistan are now targets of Indian forces.

He also praised the people of Kashmir saying, "After Pahalgam attack, the manner in which the people of Jammu and Kashmir expressed their anger against Pakistan and terrorists...I am here to feel that energy which destroyed the enemies.”

Thanking the armed forces, he said he has come to interact with them not just as the defence minister, but as a messenger. "I am here with the best wishes, prayers and thankfulness of the entire country. In a way, I have come to you as a postman and brought to you the message of the entire world—that we are proud of our armed forces."

The defence minister's visit is being seen as a strong show of support for the armed forces and a reaffirmation of the government’s zero-tolerance policy towards cross-border terrorism.

Singh paid tribute to the soldiers who laid down their lives while fighting terrorism and terrorists. "I also pay respect to the innocent civilians who were killed in Pahalgam. I also salute the valour of the injured soldiers and pray to God that they may recover at the earliest."

Singh, accompanied by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, is visiting the region after India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire. The agreement came after hostilities flared between the two countries in the wake of the airstrikes.

During the four days of heightened tension, India targeted several Pakistan Air Force bases, damaging infrastructure and some aircraft. Pakistan has admitted to losing 11 soldiers and five PAF personnel, including a squadron leader. Meanwhile, five Indian soldiers and 25 civilians were killed due to heavy shelling by Pakistan along the Line of Control (Loc) and the International Border.

This is the first visit by a senior Union minister to Kashmir since the end of the recent military confrontation.

The Defence Minister is expected to return to New Delhi later in the evening after completing his engagements.

Since the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, security forces have intensified anti-terror operations in Kashmir. On Tuesday, three Lashkar-e-Toiba militants were killed in an encounter at Keller in Shopian. Earlier this morning, one militant was killed in a gunfight in Tral, Pulwama, according to the latest reports.

Defence