Rajnath Singh: 'Stopped Op Sindoor Voluntarily, Were Ready for Long War' — Reveals Pakistan's Nuclear Bluff at ANI Security Summit

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh delivered a landmark speech at the ANI National Security Summit 2.0 on April 30, 2026 — one week before the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor (May 7, 2025). Singh made three major disclosures: (1) India halted Operation Sindoor on its own terms, not under foreign pressure: 'We stopped it voluntarily, on our own terms. If necessary, we were fully prepared for a long war.' He clarified that India's stopping of the operation did not reflect diminished capability or coercive diplomacy. (2) Pakistan issued a nuclear threat during the operation, which India dismissed as a bluff: Singh revealed that India was warned of nuclear escalation but treated the threat as non-credible, calling it a 'bluff.' This is a significant public confirmation of the nuclear dimension that underpinned the May 2025 escalation. (3) India's three-front counter-terrorism doctrine: Singh outlined that terrorism must be fought operationally (military action), ideologically (uprooting extremist belief systems), and politically (eliminating state-level support) — framing Pakistan as a state sponsor. Calling Pakistan 'the epicentre of International Terrorism,' Singh contrasted it with India, which he described as a global hub for Information Technology. Singh also cautioned on AI's dual-use threats, comparing unchecked AI to 'Bhasmasur' — a mythological figure who was given the power to destroy. The ANI National Security Summit 2.0 brought together senior security analysts, former military officers, and government officials to assess lessons from the Sindoor conflict as its anniversary approaches. The voluntary-halt disclosure directly rebuts Pakistani and some international narratives that attributed India's operational pause to US pressure or military exhaustion.