'Maritime Piracy, Smuggling Won't Be Tolerated': Rajnath Singh Commissions INS Sandhayak In AP

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasized robustness of India's naval capabilities asserting that Indian Navy is now the primary responder for security in the Indian Ocean and Indian Pacific region.

Rajnath Singh interacted with Indian Navy personnel at Naval Base in Visakhapatnam

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commissioned INS Sandhayak at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday. Addressing the Commissioning Ceremony of INS Sandhayak, Defence Minister emphasized the robustness of India's naval capabilities asserting that the Indian Navy is now the primary responder for security in the Indian Ocean and Indian Pacific region

According to ANI, Rajnath Singh said, "If I talk about our naval power, the Indian Navy has become so strong that we have become the first responder in terms of security in the Indian Ocean and Indian Pacific region. If we talk about global trade, the Indian Ocean is anyway counted as a hotspot."

"Many choke points like the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Guinea etc. are in the Indian Ocean, through which a large amount of international trade takes place. Many threats remain at these choke points, but the biggest threat that remains is that of pirates," he said. 

#WATCH | Andhra Pradesh: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addresses the Commissioning Ceremony of INS Sandhayak, at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam.

He says, "If I talk about our naval power, the Indian Navy has become so strong that we have become the first responder in terms… pic.twitter.com/RO0vedn9WI

— ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2024

Further, Singh mentioned recent successful rescue operations by the Indian Navy and stated its growing power. He said, "I will again say that people involved in maritime piracy and smuggling will not be tolerated under any circumstances, this is the pledge of new India. We have rescued 80 fishermen recently, this is the intention and power of our Indian Navy."

The Minister also stated that the growing power of the Indian Navy aims to combat illegal and unregulated fishing, narcotics, and human trafficking in the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific region.