Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said India’s missile system is “highly reliable and safe”, adding any laxity with weapons systems will be rectified immediately. Rajnath’s clarification comes days after a missile was accidentally fired into Pakistan.
Briefing the Rajya Sabha about the incident, Rajnath said Indian Armed Forces are “well-trained and disciplined” as he expressed regrets over the accidental missile fire. Noting that the Centre is taking the matter “very seriously”, the Defence Minister told the House a high-level probe has been ordered.
“I’d like to tell this House about an incident that occurred on 9 March 2022. It’s related to an accidental missile release during the inspection. During routine maintenance and inspection of the missile unit, around 7 pm, one missile got accidentally released,” Rajnath said.
“The exact cause of the incident can be known only through a probe. I would also like to say that in the context of this incident, standard operating procedures of operations, maintenance, and inspections are also being reviewed,” Rajnath added.
“We give the highest priority to the safety and security of our weapon system. If any shortcoming is found in this context, it’ll immediately be rectified. I’d like to assure the House that our missile system is highly reliable and safe. Our safety procedure and protocols are high levels,” he further said.
On March 9, India had accidentally fired a supersonic missile into Pakistan during a routine maintenance operation because of a technical malfunction. The missile hit a private property (cold storage) near Mian Channu, some 275-km from Lahore, but no loss of life was reported.
Later, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said Islamabad could have responded to New Delhi, but it observed restraint. “We could have responded after an Indian missile fell in Mian Channu but we observed restraint,” Imran had said while addressing a public rally in Punjab’s Hafizabad district on Sunday.
