Rajnath Singh compares PM Modi with King Bharata at Himachal Pradesh event

Kangra (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 26 : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during his Himachal Pradesh visit on Monday compared Prime Minister Narendra Modi with King Bharata and said that peace-loving India should not be mistaken as being afraid of war.
"India takes inspiration from great leader Bharata who opened the mouth of a lion to count its teeth and in today's era Prime Minister released Cheetahs. Peace-loving India should not be mistaken as being afraid of war," said Rajnath Singh in Himachal Pradesh.
Singh addressed a public gathering organised to honour the families of martyrs at Bharoli village in Kangra district to mark the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav'.
"We are constructing a new India that will give a sense of security and assurance to friendly nations. Those who want to cause damage to India or have such intentions will have to pay a huge price," he said.
He further added that India never tried to harm the self-respect of any nation but when attempts were made to harm the self-respect of India, they have been given befitting replies.
"The 1971 war will always be remembered in India's history for the courage and bravery of the Indian Armed forces. If that time decision was taken over PoK then it would have been with India not with Pakistan," he added.
Singh further added that pre-planned terror activities were being operated from across the border and the defence forces acted on new strategies and executed Balakot air strikes and Surgical strikes.
"Being a bordering state, people of Himachal Pradesh are strategic assets of the country and to provide them a better life is a responsibility of the government," he said.
Singh added that since the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken charge, PM is working to build a strong infrastructure.
"Excellent works has been in terms of border infrastructure. Roads bridges and tunnels have been constructed. And as a part of it Atal Tunnel which was pending for several years has been constructed in Himachal Pradesh," Singh said.
"Earlier, India was known as a defence importer. Today, it is one of the top 25 defence exporters in the world. In just eight years, Defence exports have seen a jump of about 600 per cent. In the year 2014, India had just Rs 2000 Defence exports and it has increased to Rs 13,000 cr in the year 2021-22," said Singh.
In the event, he bowed his head before martyr Vikram Batra's father.
According to an official statement, Singh paid respects to the families of the war heroes, stating that the country will forever be indebted to the sacrifices made by the valiant soldiers. He stated that the Armed Forces will always be a source of inspiration to the people, especially the youth, as they possess the traits of discipline, devotion to duty, patriotism & sacrifice and are a symbol of national pride & trust. "Background, religion and creed don't matter, what matters is that our beloved tri-colour continues to fly high," he said.
The Raksha Mantri asserted that India is the only country which has given the message of peace to the whole world and its military is respected across the globe for its bravery. While maintaining that India has never attacked any country, nor has it captured an inch of foreign land, he assured the Nation that if any attempt is ever made to disturb the harmony in India, a befitting reply will be given. "India is a peace-loving country, but it should not be mistaken with being cowardly or afraid of war. At a time when we were dealing with COVID-19 along with the entire world, we had to face the tension on the northern border with China. The courage of our soldiers during the Galwan incident proved that no matter how big the power is; India will never bow down," he said.