Situation in Afghanistan matter of concern, India on alert: Rajnath
Darpan News Desk IANS, 30 Aug, 2021 11:35 AM
New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS) The deteriorating situation in neighbouring Afghanistan is of concern, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday.
Delivering the Balramji Das Tandon seminar on 'National Security', he said: "Whatever is happening in the neighbouring Afghanistan raises concern with regards to the security apparatus. Our government is monitoring the evolving situation in the country."
He also stressed that the government wants security of Indians and also ensure that no cross-border terror activities could take place, taking a cue from the ongoing situation in Afghanistan.
About the challenges India could face amid the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, Rajnath Singh said: "Our government is alert and ready to deal with all situations. We are always prepared to deal with threats emanating from anywhere - land, air and water."
After Taliban took over Kabul on August 15, Afghanistan has plunged into a big humanitarian crisis. Pakistan is perceived as having played a major role in bringing the Taliban back to power. As evacuation of foreign nationals winds down, a US missile defence system intercepted rockets fired towards the Kabul international airport.
The minister also said that India is prepared to deal with any eventualities in a bid to secure its sovereignty.
"Our objective is to make India, a prosperous, strong and secure country."
He said that India does not threaten other countries but seeks to instill in them a sense of faith and trust that a strong India is not a threat for them.
About the border dispute with China, he said that there was an attempt to change the status quo unilaterally but "the Narendra Modi government has clearly given direction not to compromise on such an issue".
As the Pegasus spyware scandal unravelled within and outside Parliament, he termed it a "shocking assault" on India's democratic polity by the Union government, which had compromised the national security with "this blatantly disgraceful act".
The shocking incident happened on Sunday when the lawyer, Satyadev Joshi and his associate Ankit Tandon had gone to survey a land for a client in Dahisar suburb.
Delhi Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam on Friday urged the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) that the interview board should not be made aware about the caste of candidates before it. His suggestion came amid allegations of caste-based discrimination in UPSC interviews.
Water-logging was reported from chronic spots of Dadar, Parel, Wadala, Sion, besides low-lying areas in Malad, Santacruz, Dahisar. While the suburban services on the Central Railway were hit badly with delays of over 30-minutes due to speed restrictions, Western Railway traffic has not been affected.
Thousands of Congress workers greeted Priyanka at the Chaudhary Charan Singh airport and a long winding convoy of vehicles accompanied her as she headed for the Congress headquarters, covering a distance of about 13 kilometres.
Two men aged 32 and 40 drowned in the swimming pool of a hotel located on the Pataudi-Helimandi Road in Gurugram's Pataudi area on Friday. The police have identified the deceased persons as Rajesh and Sher Singh, both residents of Jatauli village in Pataudi.
