Face of Nation : Amidcommissioning INS Khanderi in Mumbai, Rajnath Singh has warned Pakistan against armed conflict with India, asserting that with the strength of the Navy and the “strong resolve of our government… we are capable of giving a much bigger blow”.
The Defence Minister’s comments come after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, in which he raised the issue of Kashmir and cautioned the global body of “consequences” if India and Pakistan – two nuclear-armed nations – waged war .
“Pakistan needs to understand that the Indian Navy has become much stronger with the commissioning of the INS Khanderi. They should know our capabilities and we can use them if required.” he declared, referring to the Scorpene-class attack submarine that he commissioned in Mumbai this morning.
Mr Singh added that “India is proud of its Navy and can never forget the exceptional role it played in the 1971 war when Operation Trident and Operation Python broke the backbone of the Pakistan navy.” The Defence Minister has stepped up his war rhetoric in response to Pakistan reactivating terror camps in Balakot that had been bombed by the Indian Air Force in February.
On Wednesday, two days after Army Chief Bipin Rawat confirmed the reactivation, Rajnath Singh said India’s forces were “fully prepared”.
On Thursday, while addressing an event in Kerala, Rajnath Singh said the centre was committed to ensuring the nation’s maritime security at a time when terror activities along the coast seem a distinct possibility. Speaking today, Mr Singh also said the centre was committed to strengthening and modernising India’s military.
In addition to the Scorpene-class submarine, a state-of-the-art diesel/electric naval asset that can fire anti-ship and anti-submarine torpedoes, is fitted with stealth technology and can cruise at speeds of 20 nautical miles per hour, the minister also launched INS Nigiri, a P-17A stealth frigate.
