‘This is new and powerful India’: Rajnath’s strong message to Pakistan, China | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI- In a strong and direct message to Pakistan, defence minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said the “new and powerful” India will strike down any efforts by the neighbouring country to disturb its peace.
Speaking at the Shaheed Samman Yatra in Uttarakhand, Singh said Pakistan continues to destabilise India through terrorist activities and a stern message has already been given to it.
“Pakistan makes all efforts to destabilize peace in India but we have sent a clear message to them that we will hit back. This is a new and powerful India,” the defence minister said.
He said India wants good ties with its neighbours and has never attacked any country or set eyes on foreign territory.
“Having good ties with neighbours has been India’s culture but some people don’t understand this. I don’t know whether it is their habit or temperament,” he said.
In a veiled reference to China, Singh said India has another neighbour which does not seem to understand things.
Singh said he must make it clear that if there is an attempt by any country in the world to “occupy even an inch of our land, India will give a fitting reply to it”.
Noting that everyone was aware of India’s defining victory in 1971, Singh warned India’s neighbours of not living under any delusion.
The defence minister also said there was an attempt to create misapprehensions in Nepal about a road from Lipulekh Pass to Mansarovar through Dharchula that was inaugurated by him recently.
“But it has failed to affect our close cultural ties with Nepal,” he said.

This is the second time this week that Rajnath has sent out a tough message to China.
On Thursday, Rajnath said nobody can “show an eye” to India and get away as the country is fully determined to protect every inch of its land.
The defence minister said this after paying rich tributes to the Indian soldiers who inflicted heavy casualties on the Chinese military in the battle of Rezang La on November 18, 1962.
(With inputs from agencies)