LUCKNOW: Hindu spiritual leader Jagadguru Rambhadracharya on Friday claimed that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) would have become part of India had Operation Sindoor continued for two more days.Addressing a gathering during the Shriram Katha in Lucknow in the presence of defence minister Rajnath Singh, Rambhadracharya praised the military operation carried out after the Pahalgam terror attack.“Under Operation Sindoor, nine terrorist hideouts in Pakistan were destroyed. Had the operation continued for another two days, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir would have been integrated with India,” he said.India launched Operation Sindoor in May 2025 targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan following the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.Rambhadracharya also recalled an interaction with Army chief general Upendra Dwivedi, saying that when the officer offered to give him ‘Guru Dakshina’ at the time of his initiation, he asked for only one thing — the return of PoK to India.Referring to Rajnath Singh, who was present at the event, Rambhadracharya said the responsibility of protecting the nation rested on his shoulders as defence minister.The seer also expressed confidence that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would return to power in 2029 and that Rajnath Singh would continue as defence minister.He further urged the Centre to grant central university status to Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Divyang State University and sought recognition of the Ramcharitmanas as a national scripture.“Ram is the symbol of the nation’s welfare,” he said.Speaking at the event, Rajnath Singh said he had known Rambhadracharya for nearly three decades and praised his extraordinary memory and scholarship, describing his abilities as unmatched.(With PTI inputs)
