Defense Minister Rajnath Singh spoke on Thursday about the policy changes India has made to combat terrorism, talks with China to resolve the border clash in Ladakh and the possibility of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) obtain a two-thirds majority in the next assembly elections. in West Bengal while speaking at the 18th edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.
Singh said that India is no longer an easy target and this has been made possible thanks to the efforts made by the BJP-led government at the Center. The government’s changes in terms of national security have shown that no one will be able to repeat the terrorist attacks in Mumbai on November 26, 2008, Singh said as the country observed the 12th anniversary of the terrorist attacks in the capital city of Maharashtra.
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“We not only control infiltration, but we can also provide an adequate response to terrorists on the other side of the border. This is a radical departure from the policy that India followed during previous governments, ”Singh said during a conversation with HT Editor-Views Prashant Jha. “Today is very important when it comes to national security. 11/26 gave a new direction to our security policy, the incident challenged our sovereignty, “he said.
Singh said that India has held talks with China and will continue to have a dialogue to resolve the border clash with China. There has been a “difference of perception” regarding the issue on the Royal Line of Control (LAC) with China and that problems arise when agreed protocols are violated. “” I want to assure everyone that under Prime Minister Modi’s administration, no there will be no compromise on the border, self respect and sovereignty of India, “he said.
India and China have held eight rounds of talks and will soon hold another one aimed at achieving total disconnection and total restoration of peace and tranquility along the Royal Line of Control, the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
The eighth round of talks between the top military commanders of the two sides, which was held in Chushul on 6 November, was also joined by Deputy Secretary (East Asia) Naveen Srivastava of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The border clash in LAC’s Ladakh sector, where both sides have deployed thousands of troops backed by artillery and armored vehicles, has entered its seventh month. Recent reports suggested that the two sides are considering various proposals to cut troops at some sticking points, but have yet to make a breakthrough.
Singh said the assembly elections in West Bengal next year will be very good for the BJP, and said he cannot rule out a two-thirds majority for his party in the state. He also spoke about the ongoing agitation by farmers against the three core farm laws by extending an invitation for talks to protesting farmers. “I call on farmers to end their protest. We are not against them and we are open to talks. They must understand that the recently passed farm laws will benefit small farmers, ”he said.
The President of the State Bank of India, Dinesh Kumar Khara, will speak with Shereen Bhan, managing editor of CNBC TV-18, at the upcoming HTLS 2020 session. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel will participate in the third and final session of the day that will be moderated by Sunetra Choudhury, HT’s national political editor.
Randeep Guleria, Director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, the Dean of the School of Public Health at Brown University, Dr. Ashish K Jha, and the Executive Director of the Serum Institute of India, Adar Poonawalla, spoke on the first day of HTLS. Veteran cricketer Kapil Dev and Delhi Prime Minister Arvind Kejriwal were the guests on the second day of HTLS. This year’s HTLS theme, which takes place virtually, is ‘Defining a New Era’ as the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic. The live discussions with leaders from all sectors will span four weeks and take place every Thursday and Friday.
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