Speaking to the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made incisive comments regarding the development of India’s defense industry and accused the Congress party of purposefully undermining it after independence.
PM Modi remembered India’s history of being a world leader in the production of armaments, pointing out that the nation used to produce the best swords and defense gear in the world.
He said that Congress-led policies that purposefully degraded India’s domestic defense capabilities were to blame for undermining this prowess in the years after independence.
The Prime Minister compared this heritage to current initiatives under his administration, such as the “Atmanirbharta” program, which aimed to promote and revitalize self-reliance in defense production. He claimed that in spite of these initiatives, the opposition, and more especially the Congress party, still uses Pakistani allusions to inform their political narratives, implying a lack of confidence in India’s own defense accomplishments and goals.
PM Modi highlighted the recent success of Operation Sindoor as a testament to the government’s decade-long investments in indigenous defence systems. He attributed the operation’s success and low cost to the use of indigenously produced technologies, such as strategic systems, drones, and missiles, which enabled India to target terrorist networks inside Pakistani territory.
The Prime Minister claimed that this operation changed the paradigm by demonstrating India’s ability and determination to respond to security threats on its own terms and in its own time, letting adversaries know that India will strike back on its own terms.
According to Modi, India’s efforts during Operation Sindoor garnered resounding international approval, with 193 United Nations members endorsing India and just three speaking out against Pakistan.
He bemoaned the fact that the opposition in India did not embrace the valor and sacrifices of Indian soldiers in proportion to this international approbation. Citing earlier calls for evidence following surgical strikes and more recent criticism over the halt of military operations, he attacked the Congress for persistently raising doubts about government action against terrorism.
In his parliamentary speech, Prime Minister Modi presented India’s recent self-sufficient defense developments as a response to what he sees as a protracted period of post-independence neglect and destruction of the sector by the Congress.
He made a clear contrast between domestic political opposition and international backing for India’s security measures, portraying his government’s strategy as one of strong, self-assured leadership based on independence and patriotism.
