Military prepared to deal with pandemic: Rajnath

New Delhi: India has put in place a robust mechanism to insulate the three services and their strategic assets from the coronavirus infection, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday, assuring that the military is fully prepared to defend the the country from “adversarial forces” though it was fighting the pandemic.
In an exclusive interview to PTI, Singh said the fight against the pandemic is the “biggest invisible war” in last several decades and India is acting on a war footing with proper coordination among all agencies concerned and support of people.
He said the Army, Navy and the Indian Air Force are strictly adhering to instructions issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the Health Ministry and their own medical bodies for protection against COVID-19.
“The fight against COVID-19 is possibly the biggest invisible war in our lifetime. A war against humanity and having various impact on health and economic security of the nation,” he said, adding, “We, as a nation, are fighting the COVID-19 crisis on a war footing and all agencies of the government are working in close coordination. The armed forces are assisting the nation in its fight against coronavirus”.
Asked whether the pandemic has impacted operational aspects of the military, he said they are prepared for all contingencies and ready to defend India’s sovereignty from adversarial forces in all scenarios.
Referring to the situation along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, the defence minister said India is dominating the enemy through targeted intelligence-based strikes on their launch pads.
“The Indian armed forces are prepared for all contingencies and I can assure you that we are prepared to defend our sovereignty from adversarial forces in all scenarios,” he said. (PTI)