Page 8 - Defence Minister

Congress used 'religion' to come to power: Rajnath Singh in Karnataka

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday came down heavily on the Congress alleging that it used mazhab' (meaning religion in Urdu) to come to power. Singh also slammed the party for having introduced four per cent reservation, in its earlier term, on religious lines in Karnataka, saying it had been done only to appease Muslims. If there is any political party in the history of India which took the support of dharma', or rather, 'mazhab' to come to power, then it is Congress, Singh said, addressing a public meeting at Kagwad in Belagavi district. Karnataka votes on May 10, with the results slated to be declared on May 13. The Congress does the "politics of Hindu, Muslim and Christians", Singh said. "Politics of this sort should never ever be done." Only to appease Muslims, the four per cent reservation was given on religious lines, he alleged. We will welcome if an economically-weaker Muslim or a Christian gets reservation benefits but the Constitution of India does not permit

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tests positive for Covid, under quarantine

Singh was scheduled to attend the Indian Air Force Commanders' conference in the national capital today but had to skip it after being tested positive for the virus, the statement said

Rajnath Singh's son to become president of Cycling Federation of India

BJP's Noida MLA Pankaj Singh is set to be declared as the president of the Cycling Federation of India (CFI) on Saturday after he emerged as the lone candidate for the top post. Not only Pankaj, all the other 24 members of the CFI executive council, will be elected unopposed during the election meeting to be held in Nainital, Uttarakhand, on Saturday. He will succeed former Punjab minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa, who has become ineligible to contest the elections under the Sports Code as he has served three terms (12 years since 2011) as head of CFI. Pankaj, son of Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, served as president of Fencing Association of India for a brief period before resigning from the post in April last year, citing his "commitments as a legislator" in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. Incumbent Maninder Pal Singh will also be re-elected as Secretary General for his second consecutive term as he is the lone candidate for the post. Sudeesh Kumar of Kerala will be the ...

First lot of women officers to join Army's artillery regiments this month

The Centre has approved the Indian Army's decision to induct women officers in the artillery regiments, Minister of State for Defence, Ajay Bhatt informed the Lok Sabha on March 31

India invites Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif for SCO meeting

India has invited Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif to attend the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to be held in New Delhi in April, according to a media report on Wednesday. India currently holds the presidency of the SCO, which comprises China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. As President of the SCO, India is set to host a series of meetings. Diplomatic sources told The Express Tribune newspaper that the Indian government shared the formal invitation with the Pakistan Foreign Office on Tuesday. There was no immediate confirmation from New Delhi on the Pakistani media report. India earlier invited Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, as well as shared an invitation for the meeting of foreign ministers of SCO, the report said. The chief justice, however, skipped the meeting of the SCO chief justices and instead Justice Muneeb Akhtar attended the meeting through a video link recently, it said. The forei

China appoints US-sanctioned general Li Shangfu as new defence minister

The appointment of Li Shangfu as defence minister comes at a time of increasingly strained relations between Beijing and Washington

We want to cooperate, work together in maritime domain: Indian Navy Chief

Highlighting the ever-changing technology in the field of modern warfare, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar on Saturday underscored the importance of cooperation and working together

Rajnath Singh, Israeli counterpart discuss development of military hardware

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday spoke to his Israeli counterpart Major General Yoav Gallant and is understood to have discussed key projects relating to co-development of military hardware. In a tweet, Singh said India attaches "tremendous importance" to its relations with Israel. "Was happy to speak with the Defence Minister of Israel, Major General Yoav Gallant. India attaches tremendous importance to its relations with Israel," Singh said. "Looking forward to work closely with him towards strengthening the defence cooperation between both the countries," he said. In January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephonic conversation with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu during which both leaders agreed on the potential for further strengthening bilateral strategic cooperation. Netanyahu is expected to visit India this year.

PM hails procurement of 70 trainer aircraft, three cadet training ships

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the decision of the Cabinet Committee on Security to approve the procurement of 70 HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft for the IAF will strengthen the ongoing efforts to make the defence sector self-reliant while also benefiting the vibrant MSME sector. Modi also said that the Cabinet Committee on Security's approval to sign a contract for acquisition of three Cadet Training Ships (CTS) will cater to the training requirements of the Navy and strengthen it further. "The CCS under the chairmanship of PM Shri Narendra Modi has accorded approval to sign a contract for acquisition of 3 Cadet Training Ship (CTS) at an overall cost of Rs. 3108.09 Crs under Buy-Indian (IDDM) Category," Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted on Wednesday. In another tweet, Singh said, "The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved procurement of 70 HTT-40 Basic Trainer Aircraft at the cost of ?6,828.36 crores. The ...

IAF airlifts 388 stranded passengers from Jammu to Ladakh using IL-76

The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Sunday airlifted 388 stranded passengers from Jammu to the Union Territory of Ladakh, a defence spokesman said. The IAF provided the facility of IL-76 aircraft which airlifted 388 citizens of Ladakh from Jammu to Leh, the spokesman said. He said two IL-76 aircrafts landed at the Air Force Station Jammu and airlifted the stranded passengers under "operation Sadbhavana" (goodwill).

IAF to participate in multi-national exercise 'Cobra Warrior' in UK

Indian Air Force (IAF) will participate in multilateral air exercise 'Exercise Cobra Warrior' at the RAF's Waddington Air Force Base in the UK from March 6 to 24, an official statement said

Timely decision ensured India among early responders in Turkey: Army Chief

Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pande on Tuesday felicitated 60 Para Field Hospital

Rich nations have no right to dictate their solutions to others: Rajnath

He further stated that wherever India is exporting defence equipment, full support is offered towards the capability development

Govt trying best to equip nation to deal with challenges: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the government is leaving no stone left unturned to equip the country to deal with challenges which may arise due to the fast-evolving global security scenario

Rajnath Singh on two-day visit to Andamans; to review preparedness of ANC

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will arrive here on Thursday to review the operational preparedness of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), officials said. On his two day visit, Singh will hold a high-level meeting with Lt Gen Ajai Singh, the 16th Commander-in-Chief Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN), to get a first-hand report of the overall operational situation, they said. The Union minister is scheduled to arrive in Port Blair around 1.30 pm. Singh's itinerary includes a military surveillance at Campbell Bay on Great Nicobar Island, where the naval air station INS Baaz is located. The defence minister expressed his desire to personally visit INS Baaz on Friday to oversee the station's capabilities to thwart challenges, the officials said. Singh will also be interacting with the troops deployed in and around the Islands. He may announce some key development projects including extension of the runway at Car Nicobar, Campbell Bay and in Shibpur (North Andaman), which will fur

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to brief foreign envoys about Aero India

The 14th edition of 'Aero India 2023' will be held at Air Force Station, Yelahanka, Bengaluru (Karnataka) from 13 to 17 February 2023, said a press release by the Ministry of Defence on December 23

Rajnath Singh cites 'puranas' to underline navy's role in India's security

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday cited puranas' to underscore the important role the Indian Navy plays in the country's maritime security. Singh mentioned about puranas (sacred writings on Hindu mythology) in his speech after stealth guided missile destroyer Mormugao was commissioned into the Navy in Mumbai. Even if our puranas are mere (figment of) imagination, there is truth behind them," he said. "They are important for us, he added. I am stating all this before you as our puranas mention the importance of the sea. There is hardly a story which doesn't mention the sea. At some places (in the puranas), there is a description of Lord Vishnu's kshir sagar (ocean of milk), in some places the earth is seeking shelter in the sea due to atrocities by demons, Singh said. The defence minister said all are very well acquainted with the role of the sea in the epic Ramayana. The sea is present in all the stories. But here, I would like to mention the story about samudra manthan .

India never favours war, violence; not neutral to injustice: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said India neither disturbs others nor does it spare those who disturb the country. India never favoured war and violence. However, it cannot remain neutral to injustice and oppression. "It's not in our nature to remain neutral to injustice and oppression," he said without elaborating. The Minister was speaking at the Gita Dana Yajna organised by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) at its magnificent Rajadhiraja Govinda temple in Vasantapura in Bengaluru. The Minister explained the circumstances that led to the Battle of Mahabharata. It was on the battlefield of Kurukshetra where Lord Sri Krishna delivered his epic lecture which came to be known as Srimad Bhagwad Gita, he said. He also told the audience that the content of Gita makes it eternal and universal. Reading Bhagwad Gita and imbibing it in life makes a person fearless, he added. The ISKCON Bengaluru has decided to donate one lakh Bhagwad Gita book throu

Explained: Why Gilgit-Baltistan crucial for India? What is its history?

India's northward journey of development will be complete after reaching Gilgit and Baltistan, said Rajnath Singh. Let's know what the Gilgit-Baltistan issue is and how does it affect India

India will become world's defence manufacturing hub in next 25 yrs: Rajnath

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said that the DefExpo 2022 reflects India's strong resolve to safeguard the nation and said that the country would become a defence manufacturing hub