As US President Donald Trump keeps making strange claims about his role in ending the India-Pakistan conflict in May, India’s Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar responded firmly. He stated that India, as a sovereign nation, will never allow any foreign power to interfere in its internal matters.
While addressing the 2024 batch of Indian Defence Estates Service officers at the Vice-President’s Enclave on Saturday, Dhankhar urged them not to be influenced by external opinions. He declared, “Don’t be guided by narratives outside. All decisions in this country, a sovereign nation, are taken by its leadership. There is no power on the planet that can dictate how India handles its affairs. We live among nations as part of a comity—we work together, we work in tandem. We have mutual respect, diplomatic dialogues. But at the end of the day, we are sovereign; we take our own decisions.”
Although Dhankhar didn’t directly mention Trump, his remarks came shortly after Trump once again claimed credit for stopping the ceasefire between India and Pakistan. Trump also alleged that five jets had been brought down during that period.
Reacting to Trump’s statements, the Congress party on Saturday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi address Parliament and explain the situation clearly.
Taking an indirect dig at the Opposition, Dhankhar used a cricket analogy to explain why not every comment needs a response. He said, “Is it necessary to respond to every provocation? In cricket, a smart batsman leaves the bad balls—tempting, but best avoided. Those who go for them often end up caught behind or in the slips.”
Dhankhar also spoke about India’s approach to national security and compared it to other global conflicts. He pointed out that wars like Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Palestine have led to large-scale destruction, but India chose a different path after the April Pahalgam terror attack.
He explained how ‘Operation Sindoor’ was launched with careful planning and measured action. He revealed that India struck terror camps in Bahawalpur and Muridke, then stopped further attacks, showing control and maturity.
The Vice-President justified India’s calm response by highlighting the nation’s values. He said, “We’ve seen prolonged global wars with massive destruction. In contrast, India acted with restraint and precision. We struck Bahawalpur and Muridke and then paused—Operation Sindoor is still ongoing. Some ask why we didn’t escalate. The answer lies in our ethos: we are a nation of peace, inspired by Buddha, Mahavira, and Gandhi. We do not wish to harm even living beings—how can we target human beings? Our goal is to awaken a sense of humanity, not to destroy.”
