Former Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan has revealed details of the political and military decision-making that preceded Operation Sindoor, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the armed forces complete freedom to decide when and how to carry out the operation.
Speaking at the Vivekananda Centre in New Delhi, Chauhan said the government had made it clear that those responsible for the terror attack would face consequences and that India would not accept cross-border terrorism.
According to Chauhan, the political message was conveyed by PM Modi during his speech in Patna on April 24.
“You are aware about the political decision that the perpetrators of this particular strike will not be spared and we’ll not tolerate cross-border terrorism. This was conveyed by none other than the honourable Prime Minister in his speech in Patna on the 24th,” Chauhan said.
PM Modi gave military freedom to decide timing
Chauhan said the government and military held several discussions between April 23 and April 29 to examine different options for responding to the terror attack.
He explained that decisions concerning diplomacy, economic measures and trade were taken earlier, while the military strategy was discussed in detail on April 29.
The Chiefs of Staff Committee, Defence Minister and National Security Adviser met PM Modi on April 29, when the military response was finalised.
“So it was a kind of an interplay when we went to the government with our options. We had a number of options which we had discussed with the NSA. So on the 29th, when we went there, I think the big decision over there was that we should teach Pakistan a big lesson because India will not tolerate cross-border terrorism and this must end,” Chauhan said.
He said the Prime Minister did not impose any immediate deadline on the armed forces and instead allowed the military to choose the appropriate time for action.
‘Do it at your own time’: Chauhan recalls PM’s directive
According to Chauhan, PM Modi told the military that there was no political pressure to launch the operation immediately. However, he stressed that the operation had to be executed without leaving room for failure.
“The Prime Minister told us only one thing: that he is not under any kind of political pressure to do it immediately. He said, ‘Do it at your own time, but ensure that there is no reason for failure, either human or because of technical reasons, and we should have evidence of whatever we do.’ And the fourth thing which he told us was complete freedom of action,” Chauhan said.
He added that the clear political direction gave the military the confidence to plan and execute its response.
“So for the military, actually, this could be nothing better than this. What they want always is clear political direction, and that was available to us,” Chauhan added.
What was Operation Sindoor?
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
The operation focused on terror facilities that India said were linked to the planning and execution of the attack. Following Indian military strikes on multiple targets, the operation was paused on May 10 after a request from Pakistan.
Chauhan’s latest remarks provide further insight into the decision-making process that preceded the military action and underline the government’s emphasis on operational freedom, evidence and avoiding avoidable failures.
