India is ready to cross the Line of Control (LoC) to maintain its honour and dignity, said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. He was speaking at the event held to mark the 24th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas and the martyrdom of 559 soldiers at Drass in Ladakh on Wednesday.
He urged Indians to be ready to support the soldiers in such a situation. Referring to the Russia-Ukraine war, Singh said it has been going on for over a year because civilians participated in the war.
The defence minister said Pakistan imposed the Kargil War on India. "We were backstabbed by Pakistan... the war was imposed on India. Whenever there has been a war situation, our public has always supported the forces but that support has been indirect. I urge the public to be ready to support the soldiers directly on the battlefield if the need arises."
"We can go to any extreme to maintain the honour and dignity of the country... if that includes crossing the LoC, we are ready to do that," he said.
Paying tributes to gallant soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the 1999 war, Singh said, "I salute those brave sons, who sacrificed everything for the protection of the motherland. I salute those brave sons who put the nation first and did not hesitate to sacrifice their lives for it."
Singh visited the tombstones of fallen soldiers and laid a wreath at the war memorial. He is expected to interact with Army officers and jawans before returning to New Delhi.
Kargil Vijay Diwas commemorates India's victory over Pakistan during the 1999 Kargil War, which saw the Indian Army driving out the Pakistani forces from Ladakh despite hostile weather and terrain. On July 26, 1999, the Army successfully concluded "Operation Vijay" after a three-month-long battle at high-altitude locations, including Tololing and Tiger Hill in Kargil.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tribute to the soldiers, tweeting in Hindi, "Kargil Vijay Diwas brings to the fore the heroic saga of those wonderful bravehearts of India, who will always remain an inspiration for the countrymen. On this special day, I bow down and salute him from the bottom of my heart. Long live India!"
Army Chief General Manoj Pande, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar and Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan also offered tributes to the fallen soldiers at the Dras memorial as the military band played sombre tunes to mark the day. The event was attended by war heroes including Veer Naris, Veer Matas and the relatives of the fallen soldiers.
