Armed forces can’t surrender nation’s defence to fear of landslips, government tells SC
The Hindu
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The armed forces cannot surrender the nation’s defence to threats of landslips caused by widening of Himalayan roads for quickly moving military hardware to the “very vulnerable” Indo-China border, the Central government said in the Supreme Court on Thursday.
Appearing before a three-judge Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Attorney General K.K. Venugopal stated that crucial defence equipment such as the Brahmos or Vajra missile launchers and Smerch rocket carriers needed room to maneuver the tough terrain and reach the border.
“There is a Chinese build-up in the Tibetan region... Today we are facing a situation that the country has to be defended. All three wings of the armed forces have to combine to defend the nation. We have to ensure that every physical, technological and financial facility is made available to the armed forces. The Army has a stupendous task to reach the passes. The defence forces cannot fold their hands and say ‘oh, landslide may happen, we will give up this road to the border’. If it is a landslip threat, we will have to deal with it,” Mr. Venugopal submitted.