In his maiden full meeting with the Council of Ministers after the beginning of Operation Sindoor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed the pivotal position indigenous weapons held in the operation, while also underscoring the changing nature of warfare today.
According to reports from those present, the Prime Minister again reiterated the significance of defense production self-reliance. "Make in India must be the first choice when it comes to weapons and defense equipment," he is said to have exhorted.
He complimented India's robustness during the operation and noted with a touch of sarcasm that, unlike in past wars, citizens in border states such as Punjab may be wondering why there were no tanks or trainloads of weaponry. "The face of war has changed," said Mr. Modi.
He also asked his Ministers to pull out and put on paper five most significant achievements from each of their ministries. These, he said, should be properly communicated to the public in the run-up to the first anniversary of the third term of the Modi government, as well as 11 years of the NDA regime. He cautioned a forward-looking, pro-active approach: "See what needs to be done," he is said to have told Ministers, asking them not to linger over past comparisons.
The conference included presentations that highlighted development plans of some of the ministries such as the Ministry of Roads and Highways, Indian Railways, and Jal Shakti Ministry.
This was the first official meeting of the entire Council of Ministers since Operation Sindoor began. During the course of the meeting, sources added that the Ministers also took time to mourn the loss of lives during the recent Bengaluru stampede, which took place during public celebrations following the Royal Challengers Bengaluru team's victory in the Indian Premier League (IPL) title.
Read also| No apology, won’t release film in Karnataka, Says Kamal Haasan
