Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who on Monday arrived in Tezpur for a two-day visit to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, paid tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives in the line of duty at the Tawang War Memorial in Arunachal Pradesh and hailed the soldiers for sharing the responsibility of guarding the borders.
Speaking to the media after attending the wreath-laying ceremony, Rajnath Singh said that India's stature has risen before the world because the soldiers have kept the borders secure. "You have kept the borders secure, which is why India's stature before the world is rising rapidly. All the developed countries have accepted the reality that in the past 8–9 years, India's stature has risen. I would like to clearly say that under the leadership of PM Modi, if India's stature has risen and India has made economic developments, it is indeed important but had you not kept the country's border secure, this stature would not have been possible," the Defence Minister said, as quoted by the news agency ANI.
"The tough situation in which you are shouldering the responsibility of guarding the country's borders—we can't appreciate it enough. I would like to tell you that the countrymen are proud of you. All of you know the importance of your uniform,".
Rajnath Singh performed Shastra Puja in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh on the occasion of Vijayadashami.