Addressing the recent crisis in Afghanistan, where the Taliban have returned to power, he said that India will be changing its strategy on Afghanistan. “We are changing our strategy and the QUAD formation is part of the same strategy,” he added.
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Pointedly referring to Pakistan as India’s “neighbour”, without explicitly naming the country, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that the ceasefire between the two countries is successful today “only because of our strength”. “In 2016, cross-border strikes changed our reactionary mindset into a proactive mindset, which was further strengthened by the
Balakot airstrike in 2019,” Singh said.
The Defence Minister highlighted that India will not hesitate to conduct “counter-terrorism operations” against its adversaries if needed. Speaking at the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) in Wellington, Tamil Nadu, the Defence Minister said that despite the challenges on India’s border, the country’s national security “will not be compromised”.
“After losing two wars, one of our neighbouring countries (Pakistan) has launched a proxy war, and terrorism has become a central part of its policy. It is targeting India by giving arms, funds and training terrorists,” Rajnath said.
“Despite the challenges on India’s border, the common man is confident that there will be no compromise on India’s national security,” he said. “This belief gradually became stronger, that India would not only end terror on its own land, would not hesitate to attack their land if needed.”
Referring to China’s “unilateral attempt” to “change the status-quo on the border” in the northern sector last year, Singh said that there too, India was able to face its “adversary” with a new dynamism.
Addressing the recent crisis in Afghanistan, where the Taliban have returned to power, he said that India will be changing its strategy on Afghanistan. “We are changing our strategy and the QUAD formation is part of the same strategy,” he added.
He further announced that the Defence Ministry will be introducing several reforms to ensure national security, including the formation of Integrated Battle Groups to facilitate faster decision making.
Without naming Pakistan or China, he said that India was facing its adversaries with a new dynamism.
indianexpress.com