'No country cast an evil eye on us', says Rahnath Singh laying foundation stone of BrahMos manufacturing centre

Image credit: ANI

Lucknow: India wants to manufacture BrahMos missiles not to attack anyone but to ensure that no other country has the audacity to cast an evil eye on it, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday (December 26) stressing the need to maintain nuclear deterrence.

Speaking on the occasion, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the stand of the country is clear that it does not provoke first but also does not "spare anyone who provokes it".

"The BrahMos missile and other weapons we are manufacturing are not to attack any other country. It has never been the character of India to attack any other country or grab even an inch of land of any country," Rajnath said.

"We want to manufacture BrahMos on Indian soil so that no country has the audacity to cast an evil eye on India," he said referring to the missile that is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.

"India should have nuclear deterrents so that no country in the world attacks us, and we have shown this," Rajnath said after laying foundation stones of the Defence Technologies and Test Centre and the BrahMos Manufacturing Centre here. He also slammed Pakistan of carrying out terror attacks in the country.

"There is a neighbouring country. It got separated from India sometime back. I don't know why its intentions vis-a-vis India are always bad. It committed acts of terrorism in Uri and Pulwama," the defence minister said.

"And then our prime minister took a decision and we went to the soil of that country and destroyed terrorist hideouts and when there was a need for airstrikes, we did that successfully," he said.

"We gave the message that if somebody dares to cast an evil eye on us, then not just on this side of the border, but we can go to the other side and hit them. This is India's strength," Rajnath added.

India carried out cross-border strikes in September 2016 and February 2019 in response to terror attacks in Uri and Pulwama. The defence minister praised Adityanath for expediting land acquisition for the projects.

"When I spoke to Yogiji and expressed the desire to establish this project, he did not take a second and said land will be made available at the earliest. I thank the chief minister for making 200 acres available in just one and a half months," he said.

Rajnath said the projects are important from the security point of view and hoped that Uttar Pradesh will be able to get a special place in terms of defence manufacturing units.

"This will provide jobs to people living in Lucknow and in UP. I can see that a new chapter has been added to the economy of Uttar Pradesh," he added. Rajnath also praise Adityanath for action against criminals.

"Yogijee shows large-heartedness in everything but he shows miserliness ('kanjoosee') in one thing, he does not give any concessions to the mafia. Everywhere, bulldozers are being run. This is a 'balle-balle' (good) time not for the criminals, but for bulldozer owners," Rajnath said.

He said due to this, investors from across the globe are coming to UP to invest. Rajnath also praised PM Narendra Modi for revamping Hindu temples.

"The Kashi Vishwanath Dham was damaged by invaders. Ahilyabai Holkar revamped it, Maharaja Ranjeet Singh put a cover of gold over it and Modiji gave a grand look to it. Yogiji also played an important role in it," he said.

Adityanath on this occasion said the manufacturing of the Brahmos missiles in Lucknow will help India become self-reliant in the area of defence.

"India is the biggest democracy in the world and we have always given the message of friendship and peace to the world," he said.

"This does not mean that we will allow the lives of our 135 crore people come under danger," he said. "This new India does not provoke (others) but does not spares if it is provoked," he said.

Adityanath added that the project is not only an effort to make India self-reliant but also caters to the defence and security needs of other countries.