India will cross any border to protect its citizens & integrity: Rajnath Singh

Hyderabad: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday asserted that the NDA government has demonstrated, through 2016 surgical strike, 2019 Balakot airstrike and the recent Operation Sindoor, that the country can cross any border whenever necessary to protect citizens and safeguard India’s unity and integrity.

Speaking at ‘JITO Connect’ organised by Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO) here, he said innocent people were killed in the Pahalgam terror attack by being identified by their religion, but India did not see religion when it conducted surgical strikes against Pakistan.

“The government only targeted terrorist centres to punish those responsible for the Pahalgam terrorist attack. We never attacked any military or civilian establishment there. If we wanted, we could have done that earlier, but we did not,” he said.

According to Singh, the Central government’s focus on boosting military and economic power is not aimed at domination but to safeguard the ideals rooted in religion, faith and human values which are reflected in Bhagwan Mahavir’s teachings.

“When it comes to India’s glory and dignity, we never compromised. Whether it is 2016 surgical strike, 2019 airstrike or 2025 Operation Sindoor, we have proved that we will cross any borders, whenever there is a need, for the cause of India’s unity and integrity and for protecting the life of every citizen and the country.”

On Defence exports, the minister noted that when the NDA government assumed office 11 years ago, the country’s exports stood at approximately Rs 600 crore, which have now risen to more than Rs 24,000 crore.

By 2029, he projected the figure would surpass Rs 50,000 crore.

Highlighting the country’s strides towards self-reliance, Singh said dependence on foreign countries is declining continuously.

The government has already entered into an agreement with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to procure 97 Light Combat Aircraft.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan of ‘local for global’ and ‘vocal for local’, he said the country is now producing a wide range of products “from toys to tank”.

“India is moving fast towards becoming the world’s manufacturing hub. The day is not far when India will emerge as factory of the world.”

He also underscored that India is poised to become the third largest economy by 2030 with a projected GDP of USD 7.3 trillion.