New Delhi: Addressing Indian community at Rabat in Morocco on September 21, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that Indian armed forces were given complete freedom to appropriately respond to the cowardly terror attack on innocent civilians in Pahalgam.
Defence Minister Singh who is on a two-day visit to the North African country, also said that India’s actions in response to the attack were “measured and non-escalatory.”
According to an official readout, Defence Minister reaffirmed that the armed forces were fully prepared and had been given complete freedom to respond after the cowardly attack on innocent Indians in Pahalgam.
“We took action not based on religion but on deeds (Humne dharm dekh kar nahi, karm dekh kar maara hai),” Singh said, quoting the Ramcharitmanas to describe the nation’s firm yet restrained approach, it noted.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, targeting terrorist infrastructure in territories controlled by Pakistan. The strikes triggered four days of intense clashes that ended with an understanding on stopping the military actions on May 10.
Highlighting the progress achieved by India in the last decade under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said that despite geopolitical challenges, India has emerged as the fastest-growing major economy, and is poised to enter the top three soon.
Singh highlighted India’s digital transformation, rapid strides in the knowledge economy, and the surge in startups from 18 unicorns a decade ago to 118 today. He also underlined the “remarkable growth” of India’s defence industry, which has achieved production worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore and defence exports exceeding Rs 23,000 crore to more than 100 countries.
The defence minister lauded the hard work, dedication, and honesty of the Indian community.
Rajnath Singh’s visit to Morocco will also be the first-ever trip to that country by an Indian defence minister. During the visit, he will hold a bilateral meeting with his Moroccan counterpart Abdeltif Loudiyi.
Following the talks, both sides are expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of defence. The MoU will provide for an institutional framework to expand and deepen bilateral defence engagement, including exchanges, training, and industrial linkages, officials said.
India – Morocco ties have gained momentum since King Mohammed VI met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 in India.
