Armed forces should always be ready for unpredictable, uncertainties: Rajnath to top commanders
New Delhi, Oct 11: Amid a lingering border row in eastern Ladakh, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday addressed top commanders of the Army and expressed confidence in the force in dealing with "any contingency" even as he said the ongoing talks with China for a peaceful resolution "will continue at all levels".
The first phase of the second Army Commanders' Conference (ACC) of this year began in a forward area in Sikkim's Gangtok, a location that holds significance for the Indian Army given its proximity to the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
"War preparedness should be a continuous phenomena and we should always be ready for unpredictables, for the uncertainties that may crop up any time. We should always be strengthening our fighting skills and weapons technologies so as to act effectively wherever called for," Singh said.
The nation is proud of its amy and the government is committed to facilitate the the force in their forward movement, "on the road to reforms and capability modernisation", he added.
During the event, the Indian Army's apex leadership comprehensively deliberated upon all aspects of existing security scenarios, situation along the borders and in the hinterland and challenges for the present security apparatus, the defence ministry said in a statement.
Singh was scheduled to address this gathering of commanders in person. But, due to bad weather at Gangtok, he addressed them via a weblink from an Army location at Sukhna.
Sources said he is likely to go to Gangtok from Darjeeling Saturday morning.
Singh reasserted the faith of the entire nation in the Indian Army, as one of the most trusted and inspiring organisations in the country.
He highlighted the significant role being played by the Indian Army in "guarding our borders and fighting terrorism apart from providing assistance to the civil administration in every need of the hour".
On the current situation along the northern borders, the defence minister "expressed full confidence in the Army for any contingency", though the ongoing talks for peaceful resolution "will continue at all levels," the statement quoted the minister as saying.
The Indian and Chinese militaries have been locked in a standoff since May 2020 and a full resolution of the border row has not yet been achieved though the two sides have disengaged from a number of friction points.
Several rounds of military and diplomatic talks have taken place between India and China, with New Delhi maintaining that peace and tranquility along the LAC is essential for normalisation of bilateral ties.
The ties between the two countries nosedived significantly following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.
Singh in his address also referred to the situation along the western border.
He complimented the Indian Army's response to cross-border terrorism, however, the proxy war by the adversary continues, the statement said.
"I compliment the excellent synergy between the CAPF, police forces and the army in tackling the menace of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The synergised operations in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are contributing to increased stability and peace in the region which was also evident in the recently conducted elections in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, and for this I again compliment the Indian Army," he said.
The defence minister stressed upon the present "complex and ambiguous world situation" which affects everyone globally.
"Unconventional and asymmetric warfare, including hybrid war will be part of the future conventional wars and the same is evident in the recent conflicts happening in various parts of world. This necessitates that armed forces should keep all these facets in consideration while planning and formulating strategies,"he said.
The force must keep learning from the incidents, including the global ones, that happened in present, as also in past, so as to avert the damage.
"Be alert, regularly modernise and prepare continuously for various contingencies," the minister said.
He complimented the efforts of Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which has led to the incomparable improvement of road communication in the border areas.
In addition, the conference is also focusing on issues pertaining to organisational restructuring, logistics, administration and human resource management, the ministry said.
Singh also complimented the Army's approach on the infusion and absorption of cutting-edge technology.
Modernisation of weapons for every soldier through 'atmanirbharta' is the key focus of the government and the government is completely with the armed forces in this aspect, he said.
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Ramdas Athawale backs Fadnavis as Maharashtra CM; says Shinde can shift to Centre
New Delhi, Nov 26: RPI(A) leader Ramdas Athawale, a key BJP ally, on Tuesday called for a quick decision on the next chief minister of Maharashtra and suggested that incumbent Eknath Shinde should shift to the Centre as a Union minister.
Addressing a press conference here, Athawale also backed senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis as the next chief minister of Maharashtra, contending that the saffron party won the maximum number of seats in the 288-member Assembly and should have the right to the top executive post in the state.
He said a peculiar situation has arisen in Maharashtra where BJP leaders want Fadnavis as the chief minister, while Shiv Sena leaders want Shinde to continue in the post, citing the good work he has done over the last two and a half years.
Athawale, the Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, said NCP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has declared that he was not in the race for the chief minister.
"We need to resolve this matter, without any further delay. The election results were announced on November 23 and we should have had the oath of the new chief minister on November 26, the Constitution Day," Athawale said.
Backing Fadnavis for the post of chief minister, Athawale said Shinde can become the deputy chief minister or shift to the Centre and join the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Athawale said his RPI(A) has a presence in every part of the state, but unfortunately lost the two seats -- Dharavi and Kalina -- offered to it in the recent Maharashtra Assembly elections.
He demanded that an RPI member be made an MLC and a minister in the state government.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won a landslide victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections winning 235 seats in the 288-member House. The BJP won 132 seats, followed by Shinde-led Shiv Sena (57) and Ajit Pawar-led NCP (41). Smaller parties, who are part of the alliance, won five seats.
