Chennai, September 25
Two days after the Army Chief said terror camps in Pakistan were being reactivated, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said Indian security forces were fully prepared to meet the situation.
He was responding to a query on Army Chief General Bipin Rawat’s statement on reactivation of terror camps in Balakot in neighbouring Pakistan.
“Don’t worry, our security forces are fully prepared,” he told reporters here.
Rawat had on Monday said, “Pakistan has reactivated the Balakot terror camp very recently and about 500 infiltrators were waiting to sneak into India.”
Early this year, tensions flared up between India and Pakistan after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based JeM killed 40 CRPF personnel in Pulwama district.
Responding to another query about Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh seeking the Home Ministry’s help on incidents of Pakistan-origin drones dropping consignments of arms and ammunition, the Defence Minister said as far as the country’s security was concerned, the armed forces have the capability to defeat any such challenges.
In a tweet on Tuesday, Capt Amarinder said, “Recent incidents of Pakistan-origin drones dropping consignments of arms and ammunitions is a new and serious dimension on Pakistan’s sinister designs in aftermath of the abrogation of Article 370. Request @AmitShah ji to ensure that this drone problem is handled at the earliest.”
Meanwhile, the Defence Minister today formally commissioned the Coast Guard offshore patrol vessel “Varaha” at the Chennai Port Trust here.
After unveiling a plaque commemorating the commissioning ceremony, he said the state-of-the-art ship would be a force multiplier for the Indian Coast Guard, pointing out it has capabilities to operate twin engine ALH Helicopters developed indigenously by HAL.
Singh, who arrived here on Tuesday on a two-day visit, participated in the Investiture Ceremony of the Coast Guard.
“It is indeed reassuring to witness the growing strength of the Indian Coast Guard, the ‘Sentinals of our seas’ and capabilities of Larsen and Toubro Shipbuilding Ltd, one of the strong supporting pillars for production and maintenance of surface assets of our maritime forces,” he said.
He said the name “Varaha” from the puranas reminds one of the principles of sacrifice and rescue at sea, saving mother Earth, restoring harmony and strength. — PTI
‘Don’t repeat mistakes of 1965, 1971’
Jaipur: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said Pakistan should refrain from 1965 and 1971 mistakes of war against India. “I like to suggest Pakistan that it should not repeat its mistake of 1965 and 1971 wars. In the 1971 war, Pakistan was broken into two and Bangladesh was formed,” he warned while delivering a lecture on the 103rd birth anniversary of Pt Deendayal Upadhyay at Dhankya near here. Singh said Upadhyay had given a new direction to Indian politics and coordination.