Sindoor befitting response to India's adversaries: President Droupadi Murmu

NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu Thursday said Operation Sindoor will go down in history as an example of "humanity's fight against terrorism " and stressed that the unity of Indians was the most befitting response to those seeking to divide the country.

"In our response, what was most noticeable was our unity, which was also the most befitting reply to those who wanted to divide us," the President said, referring to the segregation of tourists by faith by terrorists who killed them at Pahalgam.

In her Independence Day-eve address, Murmu called the killings "cowardly and utterly inhuman" and said India responded "decisively and with steely resolve". She praised the armed forces for "strategic clarity and technical capability" in destroying terror hubs across the border.

"The world has taken note that we will not be the aggressor, but we will not hesitate to retaliate in defence of our citizens," said Murmu. She noted multi-party delegations of MPs had reached out to other nations to explain India's position.

Calling Operation Sindoor a "test case" for Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence, she said it proved India is on right path. Indigenous manufacturing, she added, now meets many security needs - a "landmark achievement" since Independence.

PM Modi, responding to her speech, said Rashtrapati ji had "highlighted the collective progress of our nation and the opportunities ahead" and reminded citizens of the sacrifices that paved the way for freedom.

In her fourth I-Day address, Murmu urged remembrance of Partition's pain, and paid tribute to its victims. She hailed the new rail link to Kashmir as a historic milestone and praised India's expanding space programme, saying Shubhanshu Shukla's ISS mission will inspire the upcoming Gaganyaan human spaceflight.