'PM Modi was up all night monitoring air strike on Pakistan terror camps'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was up all night as he monitored the Indian Air Force operation to destroy a Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Pakistan, relaxing only after all the pilots returned safely home, government sources said Tuesday.

After congratulating all those involved in the operation around 4.30 am, he got busy with his daily routine as he prepared for a full day's schedule, including the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security at his residence around 10 am.

He then rushed to the Rashtrapati Bhawan, where President Ram Nath Kovind conferred the Gandhi Peace Prize for 2015-2018. Later, Modi flew to Rajasthan for a rally and returned to New Delhi to attend an ISKCON event.

 

"The prime minister did not sleep a wink all night and remained intimately involved in the operations," said one source, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Modi attended a News18 television channel conclave at the Taj Palace hotel on Monday night, and left for home at 9.15 pm. After reaching his 7 Lok Kalyan Marg residence in 10 minutes, he took a light meal and became involved in the operation, going through the preparations for the air strike on the training camp, the source said.

It is not clear if he was at home or at some other location where a control room monitored the historic events about to unfold.

The prime minister was in touch with Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Air Force Chief B.S. Dhanoa before, during and after the operation, the source, who is close to the prime minister, said.

Once the operation ended, he checked with officials about the well-being of the pilots involved. the source said.

When it was clear everyone was safe, the prime minister withdrew and turned his attention to other matters, he said.