Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Army chief General Manoj Pande at the Dras War Memorial on Wednesday (Image courtesy: Twitter/@RajnathSingh)
Paying tributes to martyrs of Kargil war on the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said that the 1999 war was imposed on the country by Pakistan which stabbed India in the back even as New Delhi tried to resolve the issue through talks with Islamabad.
He also made it clear that India would respond firmly and give a befitting reply, including crossing the Line of Control (LoC) in future “if need be”, if Pakistan tries to disturb peace in the region.
“The Kargil war was an imposed war on India. At that time, the country tried to resolve the issues through talks with Pakistan. Atal ji himself had tried to solve other issues including Kashmir by visiting Pakistan. But we were stabbed in the back by Pakistan,” said Singh as he addressed soldiers during the ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’ celebrations at the Dras War Memorial on Wednesday.
Stating that the bravery displayed by the Indian soldiers during the Kargil war has been inscribed with golden letters in history, Singh said that they gave a message not only to Pakistan but the entire world that when it comes to national interests, Indian army will not back down at any cost.
“Today, on Kargil Vijay Diwas, I would like to say one thing to our countrymen – that the honour and dignity of the nation is above everything for us, and for this we can go to any extent,” Singh said in his address.
The Defence Minister said that even after winning the war on 26th July 1999, the Indian forces did not cross the Line of Control (LoC) because Indians are peace-loving, believe in Indian values and have commitment to international laws.
“At that time if we did not cross the LoC, it does not mean that we could not cross the LoC. We could cross the LoC, we can cross the LoC, and will cross the LoC in future if need be. I assure the countrymen of this,” he said.
Thanking soldiers, Singh said that as long as they are protecting the borders, no one can even have the courage to raise their eyes towards India.
“Not only Kargil, but many times since independence till today, your bravery has made the country proud from time to time”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tributes to martyrs of Kargil war, saying that Kargil Vijay Diwas brings to the fore the heroic saga of those wonderful bravehearts of India, who will always remain an inspiration for the countrymen.
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