Show me damage to Indian structure: Doval hits out at foreign media over its Op Sindoor coverage

NSA Ajit Doval

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval lashed out at foreign media's coverage of India's Operation Sindoor saying that not even one picture of any damage sustained to Indian structures can be shown. Naming New York Times in particular, he said, "You tell me one photograph that shows any Indian damage done...They wrote things, New York Times...but the images showed 13 air bases of Pakistan before and after 10th May...".

Doval, who was speaking at the 62nd Convocation of IIT Madras, praised India's indigenous technology prowess that was extensively used during Operation Sindoor.

“We are really proud of how much indigenous content was there. From BrahMos to radars, we used entirely Indian content. We decided to have 9 terrorist targets in the criss-cross of Pakistan. We missed none. We hit nowhere else except that.”

Reflecting on India’s deeper identity and struggles, he said, “You belong to a country, to a civilisation which has been beleaguered, bled, dishonoured for a thousand years. We have suffered a lot. Our ancestors have suffered. Our pitras, as we call them. I do not know how much of the humiliation, hardships they have undergone to keep this civilisation alive, to keep this notion of nation alive."

Doval emphasised the strategic importance of achieving technological self-reliance, stating that India will fully indigenise its communication systems to protect national security and ensure data privacy.

He identified this initiative as essential for countering external threats and strengthening resilience in critical infrastructure. Additionally, Doval highlighted the significant role of Artificial Intelligence, referring to it as a "game-changer," and stressed the need for India to quickly adopt emerging technologies without relying on foreign sources.

“The Chinese took 12 years and invested $300 billion to develop 5G. We neither have that time nor the money. In just two and a half years, we have created an indigenous alternative. We owe this achievement to our private sector," he said.