Inviting outside forces dents efforts for unity: Rajnath tells neighbours on maritime security

Vikarabad: In a message to the neighbouring countries who share maritime boundaries with India, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday stressed that maritime security is a collective effort and inviting “outside forces” to the doorstep would dent efforts for unity.

Speaking after laying the foundation stone for a Very Low Frequency (VLF) Naval Station at Vikarabad near Hyderabad, he said maintaining peace in the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean region should be top priority.

Cooperation of India’s friendly nations is essential in this effort, as even if one country is left out, the nation’s security will be at risk, he said.

“Bharat believes in bringing all together and not breaking. That is why we are making every possible step to take the friendly neighbouring nations along,” he said.

The VLF naval station will prove to be very important for maritime forces when it becomes functional, he said.

The upcoming radar station at Damagudem forest area in Vikarabad district is the Navy’s second VLF communication transmission station in the country.

INS Kattabomman Radar Station at Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu was the first of its kind, a Telangana government release said.

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

Earlier in the day, while addressing mediapersons in Hyderabad, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy said it was a proud moment for Telangana as the project (radar station) is important in terms of national security.

Refuting the allegations made by BRS leader K T Rama Rao, that his party is opposing the construction of the radar station in Vikarabad district as it would create ecological imbalance, Reddy said it was the previous K Chandrasekhar Rao-led regime which gave land and permissions to the Centre.

“In December 2017, Telangana government’s Forest and Environment Department gave the clearance. As per the GO issued then, 2,900 acres of land at Dhamagundam Forest area were given for the project,” the Telangana BJP chief said.

Reddy further said the project was conceptualied in 2010 when Manmohan Singh was the prime minister.