India not a weak country: Rajnath
SAYS NO POWER IN WORLD CAN TOUCH EVEN AN INCH OF OUR LAND
India is not a weak country and no power in the world can touch even an inch of its land, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday as he visited Ladakh to carry out a comprehensive review of the security scenario in the wake of the border standoff with China.
Addressing Army and ITBP jawans in Lukung, Singh said talks are on to resolve the standoff in eastern Ladakh, "but to what extent it will be resolved I cannot guarantee". "India is not a weak country. No power in the world can touch even an inch of India's land," Singh said at a forward post in Ladakh located on the banks of the Pangong Tso lake.
"We will not allow the sacrifice of soldiers to go in vain," Singh said in an apparent reference to the killing of 20 Indian Army men during the
Galwan Valley clashes with Chinese troops on June 15.
Singh was in the Union Territory on a daylong visit. Military drill in Ladakh displays combat readiness On his first visit to Stakna in eastern Ladakh since the border row with China broke out, Rajnath witnessed an intense military drill featuring attack helicopters, T-90 tanks, infantry combat vehicles and ground commandos here at a high-altitude forward base, seen as a message to Beijing that India will maintain a high-level of combat readiness to deal with any eventualities.
The projection of India's military prowess in the region came in the midst of diplomatic and military talks between the two nations to resolve the border row that escalated manifold following the Galwan clash.
The exercise showcased integrated combat prowess of the Army and the Indian Air
Force in dealing with complex security challenges in the high-altitude terrain. A large number of ground commandos, T-90 tanks, infantry combat vehicles were part of the drill. The Indian Air Force deployed a number of Apache, Rudra and Mi-17 V5 helicopters.
Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Army Chief General MM Naravane, Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Yogesh Kumar Joshi, Commander of the 14 Corps Lt Gen Harinder Singh and several other senior Army officials were present on the occasion.
“Witnessed the Fire and Fury of the Indian Army during the Para Dropping and other military demonstrations at Stakna near Leh today," Singh later tweeted.
"Also, I got the opportunity to interact with them. I am proud of these brave and courageous soldiers," he said and posted pictures of his interaction with the military personnel.