'Congress Ran An Underground Business Of Weapons Import': PM Modi On ABP Report On BrahMos

PM Modi has again slammed the UPA government for delaying BrahMos missile exports and alleged an illegal arms import business under its rule.

PM Modi during the exclusive interview to ABP Network at 7, Race Course, New Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an exclusive interview to ABP Network slammed the Congress, saying an "underground business" of weapons import was being conducted in India during the previous regime. Congratulating ABP News over its report that exposed major delays in the export of BrahMos missiles during the UPA government's regime from 2005-2014, PM Modi said that this slowed India's defence segment by years.

According to the ABP News report, the delays in exports were attributed to the requirement of repeated political clearances. "If this delay concerning the BrahMos missiles had not happened, the country would have sold missiles worth millions of crores to the world. We could have gained the capability to make new versions," PM Modi said.

In an exclusive interview to Rohit Saval, Romana Isar Khan, and Suman De, PM Modi said: "A huge underground business of weapons procurement from foreign countries was being conducted in our country by a group favouring Western interests. That is why our army could never become self-reliant."

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PM Modi On Reshaping India's Defence Sector 

PM Modi said that after becoming the Prime Minister, he started making an annual list of 100 items that would not be imported. "The list has probably reached 300 now. I mandated that the procurement for these defence equipment must be from Indian manufacturers. This instilled confidence in manufacturers that there would be no unsold inventory. So, the manufacturers started producing more and more quality equipment. This, in turn, increased competition benefitting the nation. Today, our manufacturing is worth Rs 1 lakh crore. Along with this, we have exported goods worth Rs 21,000 crore," he said.