Positive outcome of integrated approach to national security, another 26/11-like attack almost impossible: Rajnath Singh

Nov 26, 2020

New Delhi [India], November 26 : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday that India has strengthened its internal and external security so much that carrying out an attack like 26/11 on the Indian soil is almost impossible and noted that there have been positive outcomes of "comprehensive and integrated approach" to national security.
In a series of tweets on the day terror attack took place in Mumbai in 2008, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said no self-respecting country can forget a terrorism challenge like that and security of the country has improved and now such security breaches are almost impossible.
He said that in the past six years, there has been a big change in India's response against terrorism, and now instead of just retaliating to the terrorist attacks, India has 360 degrees response action within and beyond the Indian borders.
"Although twelve years is a long time, no self-respecting country can forget the 26/11 incident. Terrorism challenged India's sovereignty that day and I am proud that our security forces did not let a single terrorist go back alive," he said.
"Today with changes related to national security in the country, we can assure all the countrymen that now India has strengthened its internal and external security cycle so much that, carrying out an attack like 26/11 on the Indian soil is almost impossible," he tweeted.
Referring to Nagrota encounter in which four Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists were killed earlier this month, he said the security forces recently foiled "another anti-India action of Pakistan".
"You must have seen, heard, and read recently that another consignment of terrorists had entered India from across the border, who had once again come up with a plan to carry out a major terrorist incident on 26/11," he said.
"Our country's army, police, and security forces together killed all those terrorists and thwarted another anti-India action of Pakistan," he said.
The minister said since India became independent, there has been a constant effort of the anti-Indian forces to create an atmosphere of instability.
"There has been a big change in the last six years against India's response to terrorism. What used to happen before? There were terrorist attacks, and then army and security forces personnel retaliated. After that evidences indicated that these terrorists are connected to Pakistan.
"Now India's response action against terrorism is happening at 360 degrees. India is taking action within the borders of the country, as well as going beyond the border if needed and our brave soldiers are destroying the terrorist bases.
"In recent years, we have been successful in dismantling all types of terror infrastructure in India. Now the next step is being taken to disrupt the financial network of terrorism."
The minister hit out at Pakistan for its support to terrorism.
"India has created a diplomatic pressure in the world, due to which Pakistan has been exposed as nursery of terrorism. It is due to public opinion our Prime Minister has created against terrorism on Global Fora that the sword of FATF is seen hanging on Pakistan's head," he said.
The Minister further accepted that India has "perceptional difference" with China, and added that despite those differences, both countries follow agreements and protocols while patrolling on Line of Actual Control (LAC).
"It is a fact that India is a perceptional difference between China. Despite this, there are some agreements, protocols that armies of the two countries follow while patrolling the LAC," said Singh.
The minister said the one big difference that can be seen today is that instead of dividing national security into internal and external security compartments, there is an integrated approach.
He said the whole world has seen in this COVID-19 pandemic that how a 'table spoon Virus' can paralyse the whole world, and therefore, India needs to be aware of the dangers related to climate change to modern technology as well as the dangers of 'radicalism and trans-national terrorism'
"I believe that the scope of war is going to increase in the coming time. Now it will be fought in the land, water and air as well as space, cyber-space and in the hearts and minds of the most important people. Under integrated national security, it is very important to understand this New Age Reality. Our government is constantly preparing to deal with the dangers of today and in the coming times," he said.
He said keeping in mind the large canvas of national security, several transformative reforms have been made under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.