New Delhi: No limit will become an obstacle to protect India’s sovereignty and the nation is fully prepared for such responses, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday as tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad escalated amid fears of a wider conflict.
Singh’s comments at an event came shortly after the defence ministry said the armed forces foiled Pakistan military’s attempts last night to attack 15 places in Northern and Western India using missiles and drones, and destroyed a Pakistani air defence system in Lahore.
The Indian armed forces on early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan under Operation Sindoor.
“We have always acted like a responsible nation with great restraint. We believe in resolving issues through dialogue. But this doesn’t mean anyone can misuse our patience,” Singh said. “If anyone tries to take undue advantage of it, they must be ready to face a ‘quality response’ like yesterday’s (referring to Operation Sindoor).”
The Defence Minister was referring to Operation Sindoor executed by the Indian Armed Forces in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, where multiple terror camps were destroyed.
“I congratulate our armed forces for the bravery and courage they displayed. The way they destroyed terror camps in Pakistan and POK is a matter of pride for all of us,” the Defence Minister said.
Nine terror camps in Pakistan and POK were wiped out during ‘Operation Sindoor’, with a large number of terrorists neutralised. “We saw the role of quality. The operation was executed with unimaginable precision. It was carried out with minimum collateral damage and no harm to innocents,” Rajnath Singh said while addressing the National Quality Conclave in Delhi.
The Defence Minister credited this success to the professionalism and equipment of India’s armed forces. “This was possible because our formidable and professionally trained forces have high-quality equipment.”
Rajnath Singh praised PM Narendra Modi government’s push for self-reliance in the defence sector. Since 2014, Prime Minister Modi emphasised the empowerment of the defence production sector. His guiding philosophy was ‘defence sovereignty’,” Singh said.
“Our government has focused equally on quality and quantity in defence production. We took several revolutionary steps, including the corporatisation of ordnance factories to bring rapid improvement.”
Talking about India’s credibility as a defence supplier, Singh said: “Brand India must mean that if an Indian company promises something, it will be delivered. If a product is supposed to function under a certain range or temperature, it must deliver as promised. This should be our quality assurance.”
He said international buyers would trust India only when it consistently meets such standards. “They should say, ‘Don’t go for doubt, go for India’,” Singh stated.
Assuring the public of India’s commitment to defending its souvereignty, Rajnath Singh added, “No limit will stop us from protecting our nation. We are fully ready for any responsible response. Our expanding defence industrial universe is giving us unprecedented strength.”
