Indian troops had quick access to logistics and uninterrupted connectivity even in difficult terrain, claims the defence minister
LEH — Operation Sindoor was a limited and restrained response and our armed forces could have done “much more,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has acknowledged.
Speaking here on Sunday after inaugurating 125 new infrastructure projects built by the Border Roads Organisation in several parts of the country, including the Shyok tunnel in Ladakh, the minister said that strong road and communication networks in border areas played a key role in making Operation Sindoor successful. He said the government is committed to improving connectivity in border regions such as Ladakh and wants to ensure development in every border district.
Rajnath Singh highlighted the rapid growth in the country’s defence manufacturing sector. He said defence production has grown from Rs46,000 crore rupees in 2014 to Rs 1,50,000 crore today and that India has moved from depending on imports to becoming a country that both produces and exports defence equipment, media reports said.
He referred to the attack in Pahalgam on April 22 that killed 26 people, mostly tourists, and said Operation Sindoor was launched in May targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan. “The world knows what our armed forces did to the terrorists. Of course, we could have done much more had we wanted but our forces showed valour as well as restraint and did only what was necessary,” he said.
The minister said the operation succeeded because troops had quick access to logistics and uninterrupted connectivity even in difficult terrain. He thanked the people of Ladakh and other border areas for supporting the armed forces and praised the coordination between the forces, civil administration and local residents.
He added that better connectivity is transforming security in border regions. He said soldiers today have access to roads, communication systems, satellite support, surveillance networks and reliable logistics, which helps them operate more effectively. He said stronger connectivity is strengthening security and also boosting the economy.
The 125 new BRO projects inaugurated on Sunday are worth Rs5,000 crore and include 28 roads, 93 bridges and four other works across Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Mizoram. Officials said this is the largest number of projects ever inaugurated by the BRO in a single day.
The minister praised the BRO for finishing projects quickly and using new technologies that match the vision of a self-reliant India. He said stronger border connectivity also stabilises local economies, improves disaster response and strengthens people’s trust in the administration.
