IANS | 26 Jun, 2023
"People living in Pakistan-occupide-Kashmir will raise a demand to
go with India. Pakistan does not have a locus standi there as it has
illegally occupied the area. The Indian Parliament has unanimously
passed at least three resolutions which state that PoK is a part of
India," Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said this on Monday.
National
security is the Government’s top-most priority and it is committed to
protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of the country. This was
stated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh while addressing a National
Security Conclave on June 26.
Rajnath Singh added that the
network of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir has substantially weakened in
the last few years as strict and consistent action is being taken.
“Terror funding has been curbed. Supply of arms and drugs to terrorists
has been stopped. Along with elimination of terrorists, work is being
done to dismantle the network of under ground workers,” he said.
On
the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, he stated that the
decision has connected the people of the Union Territory with the
country’s mainstream and helped them to usher in a new era of peace and
progress.
He asserted that India has witnessed a paradigm shift in
its security scenario in the last nine years. He pointed out that
India’s image in 2013-14 was that of a weak nation which allowed its
adversaries to create problems, but today the country has the ability to
overcome every threat.
Rajnath Singh stated that no stone is
being left unturned to equip the military with latest weaponry and
modern technology, assuring the nation that the armed forces are fully
capable of protecting the borders and the seas. “Our goal is to bring
our armed forces in the frontline of modern militaries,” he said.
“For
a long time, Pakistan has tried to destabilise peace and harmony in the
country through cross-border terrorism. However, when we came to power,
we launched effective action against terrorism. We showed the world the
meaning of ‘zero tolerance against terrorism’. The bold and
first-of-its-kind moves to eliminate terrorists following the Uri and
Pulwama incidents are proof of India’s ‘zero tolerance against
terrorism’ policy and the unmatched valour of the armed forces. Today,
most of the countries are united against terrorism. The joint statement
issued after the Prime Minister’s meeting with US President Joe Biden is
an indication of how India has changed the mindset of the world on the
issue of terrorism,” the Defence Minister said.
