If Pakistan Resorts To Anything Evil, It Will Face Indian Navy’s Firepower, Says Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today (30 May) visited India’s first indigenously built aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, currently deployed in the Arabian Sea, India Today reported.

Addressing the Navy personnel onboard the warship, Singh issued a stern warning to Pakistan, stating, “If Pakistan commits any misadventure this time, it’s very likely that our Navy will strike first.”

Praising the Indian Navy’s role in Operation Sindoor, Singh said, as quoted by ANI, "During 'Operation Sindoor', the Indian Navy has impressed every Indian with its silent service. Despite remaining silent, the Indian Navy succeeded in tying down the Pakistani Army. Just imagine what will happen when someone who can keep a country's army locked in a bottle, even by remaining silent, speaks up?

"This time, Pakistan did not have to face the firepower of the Indian Navy, but the world knows that if Pakistan does any evil act this time, it is possible that this time the opening will be done by our Navy. "

Singh said that Operation Sindoor "is not just a military action, but India’s frontal assault against terrorism, and if Pakistan resorts to anything evil or unethical, it will, this time, face the firepower and ire of the Indian Navy".

Singh said that 1971 war is the proof of Indian Navy's might when Pakistan was divided into two parts.

"1971 is a witness to this, that when the Indian Navy came into action, Pakistan was divided from one to two. If the Indian Navy had come into action in Operation Sindoor, then Pakistan would not only have been divided into two parts, but I think it would have been divided into four," he said.

The visit comes weeks after Vikrant led the Indian Navy’s Carrier Battle Group during Operation Sindoor, which played a pivotal role in compelling Pakistan to seek a ceasefire.

Singh reviewed the operational performance of the mission and interacted with naval personnel involved in the deployment. The visit is being seen as a boost to morale following the Navy’s decisive show of strength.

Citing defence sources, an India Today report stated that the presence of the Carrier Battle Group, comprising eight to 10 frontline warships, including destroyers and stealth frigates, acted as a significant deterrent. Pakistan’s naval forces remained docked at the Karachi Naval Base during the heightened tensions, avoiding direct engagement.

The battle group, led by INS Vikrant, included seven destroyers armed with BrahMos cruise missiles, MRSAMs, and Varunastra heavyweight torpedoes, equipping the Navy to counter threats from air, sea, and beneath the surface. MiG-29K fighter jets aboard Vikrant reinforced India’s maritime strike capability and readiness to escalate if provoked.