Rajnath Singh: India Ready to Go to Any Extent to Protect Its People

New Delhi, August 09, 2026 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said India’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack demonstrated the country’s determination to protect its citizens and confront terrorism. Speaking at a special blood donation camp at the Army Base Hospital in Delhi Cantonment on Sunday, Singh linked the significance of Operation Sindoor with the broader message of national security, sacrifice and public solidarity. Singh said innocent citizens were subjected to a cowardly terror attack in Pahalgam after being asked about their religion. He said the attack was followed by the launch of Operation Sindoor, during which the armed forces destroyed terrorists and their handlers based in Pakistan. He said India had conveyed to the world that it could go to any extent to safeguard its citizens. Singh added that through Operation Sindoor, India had also shown that it was prepared to go to any extent to protect the sindoor of the country’s women. Describing the event as the ‘Sindoor Maha Raktadan Yatra’, Singh said the name itself carried symbolic importance. He said, “We all have gathered here for the occasion of the Maha Raktadan Yatra. And this is special because it is an occasion connected with humanity, compassion and patriotism. We have always regarded blood donation as life donation or maha daan. Blood cannot be manufactured in a factory or created in a laboratory. It is produced only within a healthy human body and only one human being can give it to another human being. These very facts make blood donation supreme among all forms of donation.” Singh said hundreds of athletes from Sangli would donate blood, creating a dependable reserve for soldiers and their families in times of need. Praising the athletes, he said their physical ability was their identity, but their decision to donate blood demonstrated an even greater strength—the power of compassion. The event will contribute a large reserve of 1,000 units of blood, which Singh described as a symbol of trust for every Indian Army soldier and their families. He said the availability of this blood would assure them that the nation would stand beside them whenever they needed support. Singh also appealed to citizens, particularly young people, to make blood donation a culture rather than treating it merely as an event. He said, “I would urge all citizens, especially young friends, to make blood donation not an event, but a culture. In 2047, when India celebrates 100 years of independence, our dream should not only be of a developed economy, but also of a sensitive society where everyone is healthy and safe.” Singh further referred to the Prime Minister’s vision through Khelo India and Fit India, urging people, especially the youth, to remain physically fit. He said greater fitness would make people a stronger asset to society and enable them to participate in noble causes such as blood donation. The message from the event therefore went beyond the act of donating blood, combining national security, compassion and civic responsibility as different expressions of service to the nation.