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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh highlighted power play dynamics in the Indian Ocean Region and called for stronger maritime preparedness to face security challenges.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday. (ANI)
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said that India needs to keep its maritime preparedness strong due to security challenges from the eastern side of the country and the “power play” dynamics in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
While speaking at the commissioning of two stealth frigates at the Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy in Andhra Pradesh, Singh said, “When we look towards the eastern side, we see similar security challenges there as well.”
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“The power play unfolding in the Indian Ocean repeatedly alerts us. The interests of many countries clash here, and for this reason, we too need to keep our maritime preparedness strong,” he added.
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“If we talk about the western region of India, we see various types of naval activities in the area from the Arabian Sea to the Middle East, and the Eastern Africa seaboard. The geo-strategic situation here is such that it has the capacity to directly impact our economic development.”
The Defence Minister said India’s energy requirements, like oil and natural gas, largely depend on the security of the Indian Ocean Region, adding that the role of the Navy was not limited to just patrolling in the seas, but as a major pillar of India’s national economic security.
‘India Doesn’t Believe In Aggressive Expansionism But…’
Singh further said India did not aim to display its naval strength and did not believe in aggressive expansionism, but it will not back down when its security is threatened. “The whole world knows that we have never attacked any country first. We have never tried to provoke anyone.”
“Not many days have passed since that cowardly attack in Pahalgam. Terrorists killed innocent people after asking about their religion. That attack on our innocent citizens was carried out to provoke us. Without getting provoked, after much thought, we gave an effective and precise Response. We decided to destroy terrorist hideouts by launching Operation Sindoor and did it,” he stated.
“Our country has repeatedly shown that when a challenge arises, we stand united to face it and emerge victorious. National unity, discipline, sacrifice and dedication are our true strength. The entire country is united against terrorism under the leadership of PM Modi.”
Rajnath Singh also said that it was important for India to keep itself updated and look for new solutions in today’s evolving nature of warfare. “Old thinking won’t work today. We also need to anticipate new threats and keep thinking of new solutions. Under the leadership of the Prime Minister, our government has understood this too and has given priority to research and development in the defence sector,” he said.
About the Author
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More
- Location :
Visakhapatnam, India, India
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