On path to becoming superpower, India has no intention of capturing land of other nations: Rajnath Singh

“The Prime Minister during his address from Red Fort talked about five pledges to the country, which are essential to make India a superpower,” he added. “But when I talk about India becoming a superpower, it should not be misconstrued as India wanting to dominate other countries or that we want to take even an inch of someone else’s land.”

India is now working towards setting the agenda on a world stage, the Defence Minister said.

Speaking about India’s economic growth in recent years, Singh said, “In 1949, China’s GDP was lower than that of India. Until 1980, India was not even in the list of top 10 economies… In 2014, India was at the 9th position in world economies. Today, India is close to a $3.5 trillion economy and is the fifth largest in the world.”

He also addressed the recent clashes between Indian and Chinese troops near Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang. “Whether it is Galwan or Tawang, our defence forces have proved their bravery and valour,” Singh said. He also took an indirect dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for “doubting” the government’s handling of the border row.

Earlier this week, he had told Parliament that “PLA troops tried to transgress the LAC in Yangtse area of Tawang Sector and unilaterally change the status quo”.

With agency inputs