New Delhi: Defence Minister A K Antony on Monday
said the Army was raising two new mountain divisions in the
North-East, along the borders with China, but dismissed
suggestions that the move was against the neighbour.
"We are raising two mountain divisions in the North-East.
I must tell you it is not against China. But these are being
raised under the overall policies to strengthen presence of
the armed forces in the North-East," Antony told a press
conference on the occasion of the Sixth DefExpo here.
The Defence Minister asserted that India is not a
"war-mongering" country and has "not invaded even an inch of
soil of any other country ever" but added that "we will defend
every inch of our territory."
"We have to be on guard. So we have to strengthen our
armed forces to act as a deterrent. That is our policy. That
is why we are modernising all their equipment," Antony said.
He said India had embarked on a modernisation programme
for its armed forces that included securing the 7,500-km long
coastline where the Navy and the Coast Guard were being
strengthened.
For air defence, the IAF was being equipped with modern
systems and for security of the land mass from Kutch in the
West to North East, Jammu and Kashmir in the north to the
southern most party of the country, the Army was being
strengthened, he said.
PTI
First Published: Monday, February 15, 2010, 18:13