Patrolling has started in Depsang, to begin soon in Demchok: Rajnath
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh affirmed India's commitment to cordial ties with neighbors, noting resumed India-China patrols and reduced terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said India wants to keep a cordial relationship between all its neighbouring countries, adding that patrolling of both India and China has started in Depsang and in Demchok it will start soon.
“For more than a year, the talks were going between India and China, both on military and diplomatic level, so we have reached an agreement...patrolling of both India and China has started in Depsang, the way it should happen, same way, in Demchok also, patrolling will start,” Rajnath Singh told reporters at Kanpur’s Harihar Dham where he visited his spiritual guru.
The defence minister also said there has been a marked decline in terror activities with security forces effectively combating threats. “In comparison to the past, incidents of terrorism have significantly reduced,” he said. Rajnath was responding to questions regarding recent terror attacks on civilians in Jammu and Kashmir.
“While there have been a few unfortunate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir, security forces are responding effectively,” he added. “Many terrorists have been neutralised. Soon, terrorist activities will be completely eliminated and Jammu and Kashmir will see rapid development,” Rajnath said.
He later visited the Field Gun Factory, Kanpur, a unit of Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL).The factory specialises in manufacturing barrel and breach assemblies of various artillery guns and tanks, including Tank T-90 and Dhanush gun.
He inspected key facilities, including the heat treatment and the new assembly shop of the factory, to take stock of critical indigenous defence capabilities.
Secretary (defence production) Sanjeev Kumar and Samit Kamat, secretary, the department of defence, research and development and chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat accompanied the defence minister, according to a statement from the defence ministry.
The top brass of three defence public sector undertakings in Kanpur— AWEIL, Troop Comforts India Limited, Gliders India Limited— and director of Defence Materials and Stores Research & Development Establishment, a DRDO laboratory located in Kanpur made presentations on products, research and development, major projects and modernisation.