Pakistan: India ready to cross the LoC to keep honor and dignity, Rajnath warns Islamabad

Virendra Pandit

New Delhi: Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said India is ready to cross the Line of Control (LoC)—into Pakistan—and urged the civilians to support the armed forces in such a situation.

Citing the example of the Russia-Ukraine war, he said the conflict has been going on for more than a year because civilians of the two countries also participating in the war.

Speaking at the Kargil War Memorial in Drass, Ladakh, on the occasion of the 24th Kargil Vijay Diwas, he said India is ready to cross the LoC to maintain its honor and dignity and called upon civilians to be ready to support the soldiers in such a situation.

Earlier, he laid a wreath at the memorial to pay tributes to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the 1999 Kargil War against the invader Pakistan.

“We can go to any extreme to maintain the honor and dignity of the country… if that includes crossing the LoC, we are ready to do that… if we are instigated and if the need arises, we will cross the LoC,” he said.

“Whenever there has been a war situation, our public has always supported the forces but that support has been indirect. I urge the public to be ready and be mentally prepared to support the soldiers directly on the battlefield if the need arises,” he added.

Singh said the Kargil war was imposed on India, which was “backstabbed” by Pakistan.