No Talks with Pakistan Except on PoK, Says Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
Dras (Ladakh), July 26 (TNT): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday asserted that India would hold no talks with Pakistan except on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), while declaring that Operation Sindoor had demonstrated the country’s capability to respond decisively to any provocation.
Addressing the 27th Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrations at the Kargil War Memorial here, Rajnath said every attempt to undermine India’s sovereignty would be met with the same resolute response displayed by the armed forces during Operation Sindoor.
“The success of Operation Sindoor is proof that India possesses the capability to respond to Pakistan’s every misadventure with a severity far beyond its imagination,” he said, reiterating that any dialogue with Pakistan would focus solely on PoK, which he described as an integral part of India under illegal occupation.
Accusing Pakistan of adopting terrorism as an instrument of state policy, the Defence Minister said the distinction between the country’s military and terrorist organisations had disappeared.
“During Operation Sindoor, we made it clear that India no longer views terrorists and the governments that nurture them as separate entities,” he said.
Paying tributes to the soldiers who laid down their lives during the 1999 Kargil War, he said Kargil Vijay Diwas symbolised sacrifice, service and national unity.
He recalled the bravery of Param Vir Chakra awardees Captain Vikram Batra and Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey, saying their heroism continued to inspire the youth.
Emphasising the importance of national security, the Defence Minister said India was strengthening border infrastructure and modernising its armed forces under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Highlighting progress towards self-reliance in defence manufacturing, he said India was now producing about 65 per cent of its defence equipment domestically, compared to importing 65-70 per cent when the present government assumed office.
He cited indigenous platforms, including INS Vikrant, Tejas, Prachand, Dhruv, Arjun, Pinaka, Akash missile systems and modern drone technologies, as examples of the country’s growing defence capability.
Earlier, Rajnath laid a wreath at the Kargil War Memorial and observed silence in memory of soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice during Operation Vijay.
He also inaugurated a Virtual Walkthrough Portal on the Kargil War, visited the Hut of Remembrance and Veer Bhoomi, and flagged in the Shaurya Vijay Yatra motorcycle rally organised as part of the Kargil Vijay Diwas commemorations.
Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena, Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth, senior military commanders, Kargil War veterans, gallantry awardees, Veer Naris and families of the martyrs attended the commemorative event.
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