Indian Navy undertaking mega exercise in Indian Ocean Region
New Delhi (PTI): The Indian Navy is carrying out a mega war game involving almost all its operational assets like warships, submarines and aircraft in the Indian Ocean Region to check the force's combat readiness amid China's growing military forays into the region.
The biennial Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise (TROPEX) is aimed at "validating and refining" the Navy's concept of "operations" as well as to test overall combat capabilities, officials said on Tuesday.
The TROPEX is being conducted over a duration of three months from January to March and assets of the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force and the Coast Guard are being deployed for the mega drills.
"As part of the exercise, all surface combatants of the Indian Navy including destroyers, frigates, corvettes as well as submarines and aircraft are put through complex maritime operational deployments to validate and refine the Navy's concept of operations including operational logistics and interoperability with other services," Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said.
He said the exercise is being conducted in different phases, both in harbour and at sea, encompassing various facets of combat operations including live weapon firings.
"Having grown in scope and complexity over the years, this exercise provides an opportunity to test the combat readiness of the combined fleets of the Indian Navy to operate in a multi-threat environment," the official said.
"The maritime exercise also facilitates operational level interaction with the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and the Coast Guard, which will further strengthen interoperability and joint operations in a complex environment," he said.
Separately, the Navy also conducted the biennial tri-services amphibious exercise (AMPHEX) 2023 at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh from January 17 to 22.
The exercise was focused on joint training of elements of all three services in various facets of amphibious operations to enhance interoperability and synergy.
"The AMPHEX is the first time that the exercise was undertaken at Kakinada, and was the largest ever such exercise conducted till date," Commander Madhwal said.
The participating forces undertook complex exercises in all domains of amphibious operations over five days.
The exercise witnessed the participation of a number of amphibious ships consisting of large platform dock, landing ships and landing crafts, marine commandos (MARCOS), helicopters and aircraft from the Indian Navy.
The Indian Army participated in the exercise with over 900 troops which included special forces, artillery and armoured vehicles.
Jaguar fighter jets and C 130 aircraft from the IAF also participated in the exercise.
"AMPHEX 2023 successfully demonstrated the amphibious capabilities and validated the excellent coordination that exists between the three services to undertake the full spectrum of amphibious operations," Commander Madhwal said.
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Trouble ‘Miyas’ everywhere only then they will leave Assam: Himanta Biswa Sarma
Says “Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP are openly against them, we are saying it openly
New Delhi: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that four to five lakh “Miya voters” would be removed from the electoral rolls in the state once the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists is carried out. He also made a series of controversial remarks openly targeting the Miya community, a term commonly used in Assam in a derogatory sense to refer to Bengali-speaking Muslims.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an official programme in Digboi in Tinsukia district, Sarma said it was his responsibility to create difficulties for the Miya community and claimed that both he and the BJP were “directly against Miyas”.
“Four to five lakh Miya votes will have to be deleted in Assam when the SIR happens,” Sarma said, adding that such voters “should ideally not be allowed to vote in Assam, but in Bangladesh”. He asserted that the government was ensuring that they would not be able to vote in the state.
The chief minister was responding to questions about notices issued to thousands of Bengali-speaking Muslims during the claims and objections phase of the ongoing Special Revision (SR) of electoral rolls in Assam. While the Election Commission is conducting SIR exercises in 12 states and Union Territories, Assam is currently undergoing an SR, which is usually meant for routine updates.
Calling the current SR “preliminary”, Sarma said that a full-fledged SIR in Assam would lead to large-scale deletion of Miya voters. He said he was unconcerned about criticism from opposition parties over the issue.
“Let the Congress abuse me as much as they want. My job is to make the Miya people suffer,” Sarma said. He claimed that complaints filed against members of the community were done on his instructions and that he had encouraged BJP workers to keep filing complaints.
“I have told people wherever possible they should fill Form 7 so that they have to run around a little and are troubled,” he said, adding that such actions were meant to send a message that “the Assamese people are still living”.
In remarks that drew further outrage, Sarma urged people to trouble members of the Miya community in everyday life, claiming that “only if they face troubles will they leave Assam”. He also accused the media of sympathising with the community and warned journalists against such coverage.
“So you all should also trouble, and you should not do news that sympathise with them. There will be love jihad in your own house.” He said.
The comments triggered reactions from opposition leaders. Raijor Dal president and MLA Akhil Gogoi said the people of Assam had not elected Sarma to keep one community under constant pressure. Congress leader Aman Wadud accused the chief minister of rendering the Constitution meaningless in the state, saying his remarks showed a complete disregard for constitutional values.
According to the draft electoral rolls published on December 27, Assam currently has 2.51 crore voters. Election officials said 4.78 lakh names were marked as deceased, 5.23 lakh as having shifted, and 53,619 duplicate entries were removed during the revision process. Authorities also claimed that verification had been completed for over 61 lakh households.
On January 25, six opposition parties the Congress, Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad, CPI, CPI(M) and CPI(M-L) submitted a memorandum to the state’s chief electoral officer. They alleged widespread legal violations, political interference and selective targeting of genuine voters during the SR exercise, describing it as arbitrary, unlawful and unconstitutional.
