Operation Sindoor proved there is no safe haven for terrorists, enemies of India: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said Operation Sindoor showed the world the way India would respond if its sovereignty was attacked and that the cross-border military offensive has created a new self-confidence across the country.

Operation Sindoor, launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, also proved that for enemies and terrorists targeting India, there is no safe haven, Modi said in his address at an event here to honour the Tamil emperor Rajendra Chola I.

The event marks the birth anniversary of Rajendra Chola I which is celebrated as the 'Aadi Thiruvathirai' (the birth star of the king is Thiruvathirai in the Tamil month of Aadi) festival. Also, it commemorates 1,000 years of Rajendra Chola's legendary maritime expedition to South East Asia and the commencement of the construction of the Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple, a magnificent example of Chola architecture.

"The world saw how India responds if someone attacks its security and sovereignty," he said about the military strikes at chosen targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7.

He said: "Operation Sindoor proved that for enemies of India, for terrorists, there is no safe haven. When I came here from the helipad, the 3-4 km distance suddenly became a roadshow, and everyone was praising Operation Sindoor. It has created a new awakening, a new self-confidence across the country. The world has to realise India's strength."

Modi said the names of emperors Raja Raja Chola, and his son Rajendra Chola I are synonymous with India's identity and pride and announced that grand statues would be built for them in Tamil Nadu. These statues will be "modern pillars of our historic awakening".

The honour for the iconic Tamil kings follows Modi's several Tamil-centric initiatives including the Kashi Tamil Sangamam and multi-language and braille translations of Thirukkural, Manimekalai and other classic Tamil literature.