He also paid tribute to the Kargil War heroes and urged citizens to uphold the spirit of 'Nation First'.
By GT24x7 Reporter··GlobalToday24x7
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today
said the success of Operation Sindoor proved that India has the capability to
respond to every misadventure by Pakistan with force beyond its imagination. He
reiterated that there would be no talks with Pakistan, and any dialogue would
focus only on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), which he described as an
integral part of India illegally occupied by Pakistan.
Addressing the 27th Kargil Vijay Diwas
celebrations in Dras, Rajnath Singh said every attempt to challenge India's
sovereignty would receive the same firm response that the Indian Armed Forces
gave to terrorists and their supporters during Operation Sindoor.
The Defence Minister alleged that
Pakistan has made terrorism a part of its state policy and said there is no
distinction between its military and terrorist groups.
He said Pakistan's
military shelters and works with terrorist organisations, and India now does
not view terrorists and the governments supporting them as separate entities.
Referring to the 27 years since the
Kargil War, Rajnath Singh said India and Pakistan have taken very different
paths. He said India is focusing on innovation, technology, start-ups,
semiconductors, space missions, digital infrastructure and global connectivity,
while Pakistan is promoting infiltration, terrorism, radicalisation and proxy
warfare.
The Defence Minister said the Central
Government has the political will to give the Armed Forces a free hand to
respond decisively to any threat. He expressed confidence that no adversary
would dare challenge India while its soldiers protect the nation's borders.
Rajnath Singh paid tribute to the
soldiers who laid down their lives during the 1999 Kargil War, remembering
bravehearts, including Param Vir Chakra awardees Captain Vikram Batra and
Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey. He said Kargil Vijay Diwas inspires the youth to
understand the importance of sacrifice and service to the nation.
He said the Kargil War Memorial
represents the unity of India, as soldiers from every region of the country
made the supreme sacrifice for the nation.
The Defence Minister also referred to
ongoing global conflicts, including those in West Asia and between Russia and
Ukraine, saying they have tested the strength and resilience of nations. He
stressed that national security is the responsibility of every citizen and
urged people to uphold the spirit of 'Nation First', discipline and duty. He
said every Indian should possess a soldier-like spirit and be mentally, morally
and physically prepared to support the nation whenever required.