The Crossbill News Desk
The Union government on Tuesday (March 24) told Parliament that it does not maintain centralised data on civilian casualties caused by cross-border firing along the India-Pakistan border, attributing the responsibility for such records to state authorities.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha on March 24, Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth said the Ministry of Defence does not have specific figures on civilian deaths over the past three years.
Responding to a query by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure, he stated, “As per inputs shared by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), since ‘Police’ and ‘Public Order’ are State Subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India, specific data on casualty reported are maintained by the respective State / Union Territory.”
The statement comes despite multiple media reports, some citing official data, indicating that several civilians were killed in border areas, particularly during the three-day military confrontation between India and Pakistan from May 7 to May 10 last year, referred to as Operation Sindoor.
Separately, the Ministry of Home Affairs had informed Parliament in December 2023 that 39 people were killed along the India-Pakistan border in the preceding three years, suggesting that data on such casualties does exist within government records.
Providing details on military casualties, the minister said five Indian Army personnel were killed in 2025, while no fatalities were reported in 2023, 2024, or so far in 2026.
He also emphasised that the armed forces are equipped with safeguards against cross-border firing, noting that there are “adequate measures in place for protection of troops from cease fire violations and shelling” and that personnel have been provided with appropriate protective gear.
“Posts along the Line of Control (LC) are adequately strengthened to withstand enemy fire. Adequate infrastructure exists along the LC to ensure safety of own troops against enemy action,” he further said.
The remarks gain significance in the context of earlier statements by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who had told Parliament in July that “none of our soldiers were harmed” during Operation Sindoor.
However, shortly after the conflict, on May 11, 2025, Director General of Military Operations Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai had said during a press briefing that five Indian soldiers had lost their lives in the operation.
The government’s response has once again drawn attention to gaps and inconsistencies in publicly available data on casualties in border conflicts, particularly concerning civilians, even as official statements continue to emphasise preparedness and troop safety along the Line of Control.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha on March 24, Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth said the Ministry of Defence does not have specific figures on civilian deaths over the past three years.
Responding to a query by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure, he stated, “As per inputs shared by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), since ‘Police’ and ‘Public Order’ are State Subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India, specific data on casualty reported are maintained by the respective State / Union Territory.”
The statement comes despite multiple media reports, some citing official data, indicating that several civilians were killed in border areas, particularly during the three-day military confrontation between India and Pakistan from May 7 to May 10 last year, referred to as Operation Sindoor.
Separately, the Ministry of Home Affairs had informed Parliament in December 2023 that 39 people were killed along the India-Pakistan border in the preceding three years, suggesting that data on such casualties does exist within government records.
Providing details on military casualties, the minister said five Indian Army personnel were killed in 2025, while no fatalities were reported in 2023, 2024, or so far in 2026.
He also emphasised that the armed forces are equipped with safeguards against cross-border firing, noting that there are “adequate measures in place for protection of troops from cease fire violations and shelling” and that personnel have been provided with appropriate protective gear.
“Posts along the Line of Control (LC) are adequately strengthened to withstand enemy fire. Adequate infrastructure exists along the LC to ensure safety of own troops against enemy action,” he further said.
The remarks gain significance in the context of earlier statements by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who had told Parliament in July that “none of our soldiers were harmed” during Operation Sindoor.
However, shortly after the conflict, on May 11, 2025, Director General of Military Operations Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai had said during a press briefing that five Indian soldiers had lost their lives in the operation.
The government’s response has once again drawn attention to gaps and inconsistencies in publicly available data on casualties in border conflicts, particularly concerning civilians, even as official statements continue to emphasise preparedness and troop safety along the Line of Control.
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