JAMMU, JULY 24 (UNI) Paying tributes to the freedom fighters and the Armed Forces personnel who laid down their lives since independence in the service of the Nation, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said India is a strong nation and is capable of defeating all its enemies.
“India has become a strong and confident nation which is well-equipped to protect its people from anyone who tries to cast an evil eye,” Singh said while addressing an event organized to commemorate ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’ here. The function was organized by the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Forum. “It was the spirit of national pride at the core of values that protected the unity and integrity of India,” said Singh and made special mention of the support extended by the people of Jammu and Kashmir to the Armed Forces, commending their commitment to safeguarding the interests of the Nation like all other states. He stated that J&K will always be an integral part of India and the Government is ensuring that the Union Territory, like the rest of the country, touches newer heights of progress.
Terming Article 370 as an artificial legal barrier, he asserted that its abrogation brought a new dawn of hope to the dreams and aspirations of the people of J&K, especially the youth. “The decision opened new avenues for the welfare of the people and the Union Territory is now progressing at a much faster rate,” he said.
On PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan, the Defence Minister stated that these areas are illegally occupied by Pakistan, and a resolution to free it has been unanimously passed in the Parliament of India. He asserted that the Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to safeguard the interests of the Nation and it has taken a series of steps to develop a self-reliant defense ecosystem that provides indigenous state-of-the-art weapons and equipment to the Armed Forces to fight all kinds of future wars. “Our priority is to achieve ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in Defence as it is central to developing a robust security apparatus for the safety and security of the nation. To realize this vision, 68 percent of the defense budget has been earmarked for the procurement of defense equipment from domestic sources,” said Singh.
