NEW DELHI, Mar 27: The BJP and the Government on Wednesday said that the country’s new achievement in strengthening space prowess will work as a deterrent in future conflicts and ensure other players in the region to maintain peace with India.
By this achievement, we are able to compel others to maintain peace in this region. India’s stand has always been no first use but we must secure our land,” Mr Jaitley told a news conference in presence of Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
“We should not forget that tomorrow’s wars will not be the same as yesterday’s wars, Mr Jaitley pointed out.
He also dismissed Congress’ claims that this feat, achieved on Wednesday, is an outcome of an old programme.
We have to prepare ourselves for so many things — conventional army, navy, air force, cyber and space. We are in such a geo-political situation that our preparedness for future is out biggest deterrent and security cover, he added.
Mr Jaitley, who held defence portfolio for brief spells, said the process to go ahead for anti-satellite missile was started in 2014 after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given its permission. The biggest achievement of today’s successful mission is that it is 100 per cent indigenous and accordingly confidentiality was maintained.
He said those countries are already in the ‘exclusive club’ the US, China and Russia will never want the entry of a new member. The missile is a power to destroy. India has developed it for security and to increase its deterrent power, he added.
Taking a potshot at the erstwhile Congress regime, he said this has been a long desire of the DRDO and scientists to develop the missile as they are capable but were not getting permission from the then Government.
There was no clarity whether they will get the permission and that is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi deserves to be complemented to advance the national security doctrine.
This is taking forward a new vision and is a milestone in itself, said Mr Jaitley, who is also a member of the Cabinet Committee on Security.
Mr Jaitley recalled that in 2012 the then DRDO chief Dr V K Saraswat had said that scientists had the capability to develop the anti-missile but the UPA Government had not given them permission to do so.
The Minister also congratulated all scientists, DRDO and other institutions who helped the Organisation for carrying out the operations. (UNI)
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