Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh lay the foundation stone of BrahMos Missiles production unit and DRDO Lab in Lucknow on Sunday.
Speaking at an event after laying the foundation stones for the Defence Technologies and Test Centre and BrahMos Manufacturing Centre in Lucknow, Singh said: “The BrahMos missile and other weapons we are manufacturing are not to attack any country. It has never been the character of India to attack or grab even an inch of the land of any country… India is a peaceful country. We are not building BrahMos to attack any country. We want it because if a country casts an evil eye on us, we are capable of replying.”
Singh also lashed out at Pakistan for terror attacks in India. “There is a neighbouring country. It got separated from India sometime back. I don’t know why its intentions vis-a-vis India are always bad. It committed acts of terrorism in Uri and Pulwama,” he said.
“And then our prime minister took a decision, and we went to the soil of that country and destroyed terrorist hideouts. When there was a need for airstrikes, we did that successfully. We gave the message that if somebody dares to cast an evil eye on us, then not just on this side of the border, but we can go to the other side and hit them. This is India’s strength,” he said referring to Balakot airstrikes of 2019.
“The foundation of New India was laid by (former Prime Minister) Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji, and (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji is building it. Despite opposition from the world, Vajpayee ji had tested nuclear weapons in Pokhran and showed his power that India will not just import weapons, but also export them,” he added.
Praising Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for expediting land acquisition for the projects, the Defence Minister said: “When I spoke to Yogi ji and expressed the desire to establish this project, he did not take a second and said the land will be made available at the earliest. I thank the chief minister for making 200 acres available in just one-and-a-half months.”
Hitting out at the previous governments of UP, Singh said: “Before 2017, you know how things were. Rioters and mafia were on high morale. The politicisation of crime, and criminals in politics was the norm. Now, one can say that your CM has ensured law and order. It is not just discussed in UP, but in other states too… People tell me, ‘UP ki sarkar, bahut asardar hai (UP government is very effective)’.”
Speaking at the event, Chief Minister Adityanath said, “If someone raises an eye on the security of India, then it will not be tolerated… Every person in the country knows that this is a ‘New India’. Yeh chedhta nahi hai, lekin agar koi ishe chedhta hai, toh ushe chodhta bhi nahi hai (This New India doesn’t provoke anyone, but if someone provokes, it doesn’t leave them).”
“Now, Lucknow will not just be known for the ‘Smile, You Are In Lucknow’, but will also be known for roaring against the enemy countries. And the missile made here will not just be a source of the country’s security apparatus, but also for strengthening security here. It will also become a source of employment for our youths,” he added.
Officials said the BrahMos Manufacturing Centre is a modern, state-of-art facility in the Lucknow node of Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor covering over 200 acres. “The centre will consist of six subcentres: deep-tech innovation and startup incubation centre; design and simulation centre; testing and evaluation centre; centre for industry 4.0/digital manufacturing; skill development centre; and business development centre,” said an official.
“These two facilities are not only important for providing security to the country but will also put UP on the map of defence manufacturing in the country,” said Rajnath Singh.
