Page 21 - Rajnath Singh

Making progress on theaterisation of military: Rajnath Singh

The theaterisation process in the military is making progress as consensus is emerging among the three services on the ambitious initiative, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in first clear remarks reflecting forward movement in the mega reform initiative. In an exclusive interview to PTI on Saturday, he said the armed forces are committed to the theaterisation initiative because it will integrate the capabilities of the three services and ensure better utilisation of resources. Under the theaterisation model, the government seeks to integrate the capabilities of the Army, Air Force and Navy and optimally utilise their resources for wars and operations. "The theaterisation process has started. There has been progress on it. Consensus is emerging on it among the three services as it will ensure better utilisation of resources and enhance the military's overall capabilities," the defence minister said. Singh declined to provide a timeline for rolling out of the theatre commands, an

Eastern Ladakh border row: Talks with China going on well, says Rajnath

As the military standoff between India and China drags on along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the talks between the two sides are going on well and indicated hope for a resolution of the lingering row. In an interview to PTI on Saturday, Singh also said that India has been developing infrastructure along the frontier with China at a rapid speed, asserting that the country's borders will remain safe. "The talks are going on well," he said declining to elaborate further considering the sensitive nature of the dialogue process. Asked whether he was hopeful of a positive outcome and an end to the nearly four-year face-off between the two militaries, Singh shot back: "If there was no hope, then why to have talks." "They (the Chinese side) also have hope and that is why holding the talks," he said. The Indian and Chinese militaries have been locked in a standoff since May 2020 and a full resolution of the border row has not yet b

BJP will never change Preamble, reservation will remain: Rajnath Singh

The BJP government will never change the Constitution or end reservation, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, accusing the Congress of creating "fear psychosis" and resorting to spreading misinformation for "vote bank" politics. In an interview to PTI, Singh blasted the Congress for spreading "canards" that the BJP will change the Constitution if it returns to power and especially asserted that there was no question of changing the Preamble of the Constitution. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been alleging that the BJP will "tear up and throw away" the Constitution if it retains power. Some other Congress functionaries had expressed apprehensions that the BJP may drop the word "secularism" from the Preamble of the Constitution. "Congress brought constitutional amendments 80 times. They changed the Preamble during the Emergency," the defence minister said. "The BJP will never change the Constitution. Constitution makers never imagined that there would be changes in the Preamble. Y

Rahul has no fire but Cong playing with fire by risking divide: Rajnath

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has no fire while his party is playing with fire by attempting to create Hindu-Muslim divide for electoral dividends, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said. In an interview to PTI, Singh also indicated that the BJP will implement its big-ticket plans like rolling out of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and implementing the 'One Nation One Election' push if it retains power for the third consecutive term. The defence minister also said that he was confident that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will cross 400 seats and the BJP will get over 370 as these projections were made after detailed assessment of the ground situation and not made only for public consumption. On the overall political landscape, the defence minister accused the Congress of attempting to disturb social harmony and trying to create tensions on religious lines. "They are attempting to create Hindu-Muslim divide for electoral gains. The Congress is trying to create tensions on ...

No force needed for PoK; people will want to join India themselves: Rajnath

India will never give up its claim on Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (PoK) but it won't have to capture it with force because its people, on their own, would want to be part of India after seeing the development in Kashmir, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said. In an exclusive interview to PTI, Singh asserted that the ground situation has improved significantly in Jammu and Kashmir and that a time will come when AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act) will no longer be required in the Union Territory. The defence minister, however, said the matter is under the domain of the Union Home Ministry and it will take appropriate decisions. He said elections will also be held there definitely, but wouldn't give a timeline. "I think India will not have to do anything. The way the ground situation has changed in Jammu and Kashmir, the way the region is witnessing economic progress and the way peace has returned there, I think demands will emerge from people of PoK that they should merge with ..

India flight tests missile-assisted torpedo release system off Odisha coast

India on Wednesday successfully flight tested the supersonic missile-assisted release of torpedo (SMART) system from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast, a defence official said. The system was launched around 8.30 am from the ground mobile launcher. Several state-of-the-art mechanisms such as symmetric separation, ejection and velocity control have been validated in this test, the defence official said. SMART is a next-generation missile-based light-weight torpedo delivery system, designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to enhance the anti-submarine warfare capability of the Indian Navy far beyond the conventional range of lightweight torpedo, he added.

LS polls: Rajnath Singh files his nomination from Lucknow constituency

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami were also present on the occasion

LS polls: Rajnath Singh holds roadshow in Lucknow before filing nomination

Lucknow will vote in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20. Rajnath Singh will face Samajwadi Party candidate Ravidas Mehrotra from this seat

Military strength, capabilities essential to prevent wars, says Army chief

The current geo-strategic landscape is characterised by a change that is taking place at an "unprecedented" scale and speed, Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande said on Tuesday while asserting that military strength and capabilities are necessary to prevent wars. Addressing an event here, Gen Pande also said the recent global developments have underscored that the security of the nation can neither be outsourced nor be dependent on the largesse of others. Recent geopolitical powerplays have displayed that where national interests are concerned, countries will "not hesitate" to go to war. These developments have reaffirmed the relevance of hard power, he said. The Army chief took part in the AIMA National Leadership Conclave and spoke on 'Hard Power: Modernising Forces through Self-reliance'. He said the overall rise of a nation can be said to occur when there is a significant and continuous increase in its "comprehensive national power". While "economic power" is the fountainhead of the gr

Noida once 'centre of corruption', now known for its biz growth: Rajnath

Noida was once known as "centre of corruption" but it has now transformed into "centre of business" due to efforts of the double-engine government of the BJP, senior party leader Rajnath Singh said in Gautam Buddh Nagar on Tuesday. Criminals once dominated this region in western Uttar Pradesh, even forcing people to migrate but all that has now become a thing of the past, the defence minister also said as he slammed previous non-BJP governments in the state. Singh was speaking at an election rally at Bisaha village in Greater Noida while canvassing support for BJP's Gautam Buddh Nagar Lok Sabha candidate Mahesh Sharma ahead of the April 26 voting. "You people know very well about Noida. There was a time when Noida was the centre of corruption for the politicians of Uttar Pradesh. It was said for the officers, too, that if there is any biggest centre of corruption, it is Noida," he said. "But today I can say with pride that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ch

Defence Minister Rajnath visits Siachen; reviews military preparedness

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday visited Siachen, the world's highest battlefield, and reviewed India's overall military preparedness in the region. Singh's visit to Siachen came over a week after the Indian Army marked the 40th year of its presence in the strategically key region. The defence minister, accompanied by Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande, reviewed the overall security situation in the region, officials said. Singh also interacted with the soldiers deployed in Siachen. The Siachen glacier, which is at a height of around 20,000 feet in the Karakoram range, is known as the highest militarised zone in the world where the soldiers have to battle frostbite and high winds. Under its 'Operation Meghdoot' the Indian Army established its full control over the Siachen Glacier in April, 1984. The Indian Army strengthened its presence in Siachen over the last few years. In January last year, Captain Shiva Chauhan from the Army's Corps of Engineers was posted at a frontline pos

Lawlessness prevailing in West Bengal under Mamata's rule: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday alleged that lawlessness was prevailing in West Bengal under the Mamata Banerjee-led dispensation. He said that despite the state having a woman chief minister, incidents like Sandeshkhali were taking place. "There is lawlessness in West Bengal under the Mamata Banerjee dispensation," Singh said, addressing an election rally here in Murshidabad Lok Sabha constituency in favour of BJP candidate Gouri Shankar Ghosh. He also said that people across the world were ashamed over the allegations of atrocities on women in Sandeshkhali. Some local TMC leaders have been accused of committing sexual atrocities on women as well as grabbing land of villagers, including tribals, at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district. "Goons are ruling the roost here and people are afraid," Singh claimed.

Lok Sabha elections 2024: INDI alliance's 'Ulgulan rally' in Ranchi today

Lok Sabha poll 2024 campaign: In neighbouring Bihar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to hold a public meeting in Katihar in support of NDA candidate Dulal Chand Goswami

Lok Sabha polls: Rajnath Singh to hold election rallies in Bengal today

The first phase of voting recently concluded in the Coochbehar, Alipurduar, and Jalpaiguri parliamentary constituencies. The BJP won in all these constituencies in the last election in 2019

LS polls: Congress becoming outdated, losing relevance, says Rajnath Singh

Criticising the Congress for becoming 'outdated' and losing its relevance in the country's political spectrum, Defence Minister Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said BJP does politics for the sake of the nation building and not merely for coming to power. Addressing a party gathering before Union Minister Kishan Reddy filed his nomination for Lok Sabha polls, Singh also attacked the Congress party alleging that former Reserve Bank Governor D Subbarao in his book wrote that there was pressure to present a rosy picture with regards to the economy during UPA rule. He claimed that due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention the war between Russia and Ukraine was stopped for over four hours to facilitate India to evacuate its citizens. I want to say that the Congress has become completely outdated. Congress is continuously losing its relevance from Indian politics. Congress indulged in appeasement politics. When it comes to politics, BJP doesn't do politics on caste, creed, and ..

Vice Admiral Dinesh Tripathi appointed as next chief of Indian Navy

Prior to taking over as Vice Chief of the Naval Staff, VAdm Dinesh K Tripathi served as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command

India can take action against terrorism even across border: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that India possesses the capability to counter terror activities by taking action across the border, if required. "If anyone tries to encourage terrorist activities in India, we have the power to deal with it here and, if required, take action even on the other side of the border," the minister said. Singh made the statement here while criticising the CPI(M)-led LDF and the Congress-led UDF for having sought proof of the cross-border airstrike in 2019 carried out by Indian defence forces on terror camps across the border. Addressing a poll rally organised by the BJP-led NDA in the Mavelikkara Lok Sabha constituency, he dubbed the questions of the Congress and the Left as "anti-national in nature", and said the people in the country are aware of that. Senior Congress leader Kodikkunnil Suresh is the UDF candidate in Mavelikkara, where CPI's C A Arun Kumar is contesting as the LDF candidate, and the NDA is represented by Baiju Kalashala

India successfully flight-tests Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile: DRDO

India on Thursday successfully flight-tested the Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile (ITCM) from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur off the coast of Odisha, the DRDO said. During the test, all subsystems performed as per expectation. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO for the successful test flight of the ITCM. He stated that the successful development of the indigenous long-range subsonic cruise missile powered by indigenous propulsion is a major milestone for Indian defence R&D. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said that the performance of the missile was monitored by several Range Sensors such as Radar, Electro Optical Tracking System (EOTS) and Telemetry deployed by the Integrated Test Range at various locations to ensure complete coverage of the flight path. The flight of the missile was also monitored from the Su-30-Mk-I aircraft of the Indian Air Force, they said. The missile followed the desired path using waypoint navigation an

Rahul Gandhi has no courage to contest from Amethi, says Rajnath Singh

Senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh on Thursday took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, alleging that after his defeat from Amethi Lok Sabha seat in 2019, he does not have the courage to stand from there this time. Singh said Gandhi, following his defeat, migrated to Kerala from Uttar Pradesh. "However, I have heard that the people of Wayanad have decided not to make him their MP," he claimed while speaking at an election meeting in the Pathanamathitta Lok Sabha constituency to garner support for BJP candidate Anil K Antony. Singh also said that while various space programmes and projects were being launched in the country, "the launching of Congress' young leader has not happened for the last 20 years". "The Congress party's 'Rahulyaan' has neither been launched nor has it landed anywhere," he said taking a dig at the Congress MP from Wayanad. During his speech, Singh praised Congress stalwart A K Antony and called him a disciplined and principled person whose honesty and integri

Those who opposed Lord Ram in India faced downfall, says Rajnath Singh

Senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh claimed on Wednesday that whoever in India has opposed Lord Ram has faced downfall, which is what has happened to the Congress and CPI(M) in the country. Singh alleged that both the parties, which are allies in the INDIA bloc, do not understand the importance of Lord Ram or the festival of Ram Navami. "They have created hurdles in celebration of Ram Navami. We all know that whosoever has ever opposed Lord Ram faced downfall in the country. That is what has happened to Congress and CPI(M)," he alleged at an election meeting. He also claimed there was no difference in words and deeds of the BJP which was the most credible political party in the country. However, the words and deeds of the Congress and Communist parties were different. The minister also expressed confidence that the BJP will win seats in double digits from Kerala in the Lok Sabha polls. The Lok Sabha elections will be held in Kerala on April 26 and the results will be declared on June