Upadhyaya was first to pitch idea that India should have a credible nuclear deterrent: Rajnath Singh

When Indian Army engages with China, it does so as an equal force: Singh

Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya was the first to pitch the idea that India should have a credible nuclear deterrent and because of that deterrent, the Indian Army engages with China as an equal force, said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday.

Praising the philosophy and ideas of Pandit Upadhyaya, Mr. Singh said that apart from various social issues, he had also thought deeply about the defence of the nation. He believed that the country should be capable of self-defence.

“When China conducted the first nuclear test in 1964, Deendayal ji was in favour of India too carrying out a nuclear test. If anyone spoke about a credible nuclear deterrent in India, it was Deendayal ji,” said Mr. Singh who added that following the vision of Pandit Upadhyaya, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee carried out five nuclear tests in Rajasthan in 1998.

“When Atal ji tested the nuclear weapon, the goal was not to drop an atom bomb on any country, but to maintain a deterrent,” he added.

He further said that because of that deterrent, the Indian Army today has full confidence in itself. “Today in 2022, when Indian Army engages with China, it does so as an equal force. If any force eyes Indian territory with evil intentions, then Indian soldiers have the power to give a befitting reply,” he added.

Mr. Singh was speaking during the launch of a book on the life and philosophy of Pandit Upadhyaya on the eve of his birth anniversary. The book, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, Jeevan Darshan Aur Samsamaikta, is edited by Bajrang Lal Gupta, a former office-bearer of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).