India, June 10 -- In a powerful message, defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said that while the terrorists in Pahalgam targeted civilians on April 22 based on their religion, India hit back at the terrorists on the basis of their 'karm' (deeds).

"Terrorists killed people in Pahalgam asking their religion; we didn't ask their 'dharm' but hit back seeing their karma," Rajnath Singh said at an event in Dehradun.

Talking about India's defence strategy, Singh said under PM Modi's "bold and visionary" leadership, India's defence sector has transformed remarkably from a largely import-driven model to becoming a "trusted global exporter".

"The world saw this change during the recent Operation Sindoor," Singh said.

On April 22, terroris...