External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar asserts that no one can put pressure on today's India

Kampala: India can now respond to the challenges to its security. Be it Uri or Balakot, India responds strongly to terrorist activities against it. The whole world is taking notice of this. The Indian Army is deployed in remote areas along China’s LAC under tough conditions. Today’s India takes its own decisions. Pressure from other countries does not affect India’s decision. India does not decide what to do and what not to do, from whom to buy fuel or not, on the advice of others. In a strong rebuke to the US, Pakistan, China, and European countries attempting to exert pressure on India, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar declared that India has achieved true independence.

While addressing the Indian community on Wednesday, during his visit to Uganda, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar made it clear that today’s India is very different from what it used to be. Stating that today’s India has the strength to respond to the challenges facing its security, the External Affairs Minister reminded that India had given a befitting reply to the attacks in Uri in 2016 and Pathankot in 2019. The External Affairs Minister pointed out that for the last three years, the Indian Army has been deployed in remote areas along the LAC under very difficult conditions after China violated the boundary agreement.

The government fully supports the Indian soldiers stationed on LAC and has provided them with the necessary weapons and infrastructural facilities developed for them. However, the work of developing the LAC infrastructure is still incomplete, but this work is being speeded up, Jaishankar further said. External Affairs Minister Jaishankar pointed out that the development of infrastructure on the LAC was neglected in the past, but now it is being given top priority.

Today’s India defies external pressure. India does not follow instructions from other countries on what to do and what not to do, from whom to buy fuel or not. The foreign minister defended India’s fuel purchase from Russia by saying that India takes necessary decisions in the interest of its people. Pressure from other countries does not affect India’s decisions. Therefore, today’s India is truly more independent, the foreign minister said.

For the past few days, the US and European countries have been trying to increase pressure on India in different ways. US political leaders, diplomats and study groups are constantly warning that India is under threat from China. While China continues to take provocative actions against India along the LAC, the United States has pledged to support India. The US had warned China, which claims Arunachal Pradesh, that it is India’s territory. But while supporting India in this way, the representatives of the United States have started demanding that India give up its support to China and Russia.

The US is sending a message to India to stop buying fuel and weapons from Russia if it wants US assistance against the challenges it is facing from China. Over the past few months, US leaders and diplomats have been reminding India of this in different words and in different ways. In such a situation, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar has asserted that India has the power to respond to challenges to its security. The External Affairs Minister seems to have sent the right message to Pakistan, China and the US, which has constantly been warning India.

The US wants to help India against the threat from China and sell more of its weapons and defence equipment to India. At the same time, given China’s cooperation with Russia, the US is suggesting that India should also distance itself from Russia. But Russia is not ready to sacrifice its traditional friendship with India for China. It has often been revealed that India is not ready to alienate Russia to get the US’s support against China. That’s why the upset US seems to be warning India over and over again. However, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar has also reminded the US and its European allies that no one can put pressure on India today.

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