Pakistan Uses Terrorism As A Tool To Destabilise India: Says Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

“We cannot forget 26/11 and if there was a lapse then it can't be repeated. Our Navy and Coast Guard are always on alert,” Singh said.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh (PTI)

New Delhi: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that Pakistan uses terrorism as a tool to destabilise India and that incident like 26/11 will not be repeated. The threat of terror incidents along the Indian coastline remains and a neighbouring country is involved in "nefarious" actions to destabilise India, he said in an apparent reference to Pakistan, while speaking to reporters on board the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya which is currently sailing along India's western coastline. “We cannot forget 26/11 and if there was a lapse then it can't be repeated. Our Navy and Coast Guard are always on alert,” he said. Asked about terror threats along the country's coastline, the defence minister said, "Any country in the world should have adequate security for itself. We cannot rule out any possibilities [of terror threats]." During his overnight stay on the INS Vikramaditya, Singh witnessed various military exercises involving submarines, frigates and the carrier. "I can say this with complete belief that our Indian Navy has a solid and attentive presence here for maritime security. There is not an iota of doubt," Singh said, adding that a Mumbai-like incident cannot be allowed to recur. "We can not forget what happened on 26.11.2008 [the Mumbai attack]. If some mistake has happened once, it must not be repeated again at any cost. Therefore, our Indian Navy and Coast Guard always remain vigilant," he said. On the army chief's statement that terrorists have again come into play in Pulwama, Singh said,"No one needs to tell what will happen to the terrorists who have come into existence." Not only in India, the whole world knows what will happen to terrorists, the defence minister said. (with PTI inputs)