NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said it is his responsibility to work with the armed forces and give a "befitting reply" to those who cast an evil eye on India, his remarks coming in the backdrop of the recent Pahalgam terror attack.
Addressing an event in Delhi, Singh said people know Prime Minister Narendra Modi very well and are quite familiar with his working style, his determination and the way he has learned to "take risks" in his life.
"You all know Prime Minister Narendra Modi's work ethic and perseverance. You are aware of his efficiency and determination. You are aware of the way he has learnt to take risks in his life. I want to assure you that under the leadership of PM Modi 'jaisa aap chahte hain waisa hokar rahega (Whatever you want will happen)," the senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said.
"As the defence minister, it is my responsibility to work with my soldiers and ensure the protection of the country's borders. And it is my responsibility to give a befitting reply, by working with the armed forces, to those who cast an evil eye on our country," Singh said.
His assertion came as India is mulling retaliatory measures against Pakistan in view of the cross-border linkages to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists.
Following the terror attack Central government has announced several diplomatic measures against Pakistan, such as closing the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari, suspending the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals, giving them 48 hours to return to their country, and reducing the number of officers in the High Commissions on both sides.
India also halted the Indus Waters Treaty signed in 1960 in the wake of the Pahalgam attack.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also assured the country that the terrorists responsible for this attack, along with those who conspired it, will face punishment beyond their imagination, The Prime Minister asserted that the time has come to eliminate the remaining strongholds of terrorism and that the willpower of 140 crore Indians will now break the backbone of the perpetrators of terror.