Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh assured the nation that the armed forces are fully equipped to give a befitting reply to anyone who casts an evil eye on India. Addressing an event in Jhajjar, Haryana on November 13, 2022, Raksha Mantri asserted that protecting national interests is the prime objective of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi-led government and the Army is armed with state-of-the-art and indigenous weapons/equipment to protect the country from future challenges.
“India is no longer weak. We believe in peace, but if someone tries to harm us, we will give them a befitting reply. Our soldiers have done it time and time again. The surgical strikes in 2016, the Balakot airstrikes in 2019 and the bravery of our soldiers during the Galwan Valley incident are proof of our prowess and preparedness,” said Shri Rajnath Singh. Raksha Mantri lauded the prime minister for transforming India’s global image from being a mere listener to an enforcer and said the world is now listening intently to New Delhi. He pointed out that India is now among the top five economies of the world due to the government’s efforts, he hoped that the country would find itself in the top three in the coming times.
Shri Rajnath Singh also emphasized that the government has taken inspiration from revolutionaries like Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Emperor Prithviraj Chauhan and Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji and is working to realize India’s aspirations while preserving its cultural heritage. He touched upon the ‘Panch Pran of Amrit Kaal’, the resolve of a ‘New India’ envisioned by the Prime Minister during his Independence Day speech this year from the ramparts of the Red Fort.
Raksha Mantri said that to get rid of the colonial mindset, the government has taken a number of initiatives, including renaming Rajpath as Kartavya Path; installation of a large statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at the India Gate premises; a new Ensign of the Indian Navy inspired by the Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji and the repeal of about 1,500 outdated laws from the British era. Shri Rajnath Singh rejected the views of some quarters on the presence of lotus flower in the logo of India’s G-20 Chairmanship in 2023 which was launched by the Prime Minister recently. He said the lotus is the national flower associated with India’s cultural identity.
The event witnessed the unveiling of the statue of warrior king Prithviraj Chauhan Raksha Mantri in Jhajjar. He called Prithviraj Chauhan as a great ruler who not only ruled over a large territory but was also an embodiment of bravery, justice and public welfare. Haryana Chief Minister Shri Manohar Lal was among the dignitaries present on the occasion.
