Antony to seek hike in defence outlay to counter twin threats from Pakistan, China

May 9, 2012
antony
New Delhi, May 9: India is looking to crank up its defence budget to counter the deepening military nexus between China and Pakistan, which could even extend to it being confronted with a two-front war in a worst-case scenario.

Defence minister AK Antony on Tuesday told Rajya Sabha he would seek a hike in the Rs 1,93,408 crore (around $39 billion) defence outlay in the 2012-13 budget due to "new ground realities and the changing security scenario".

"The growing proximity of China and Pakistan is a cause of worry...I know the gravity of the situation. We have to take a second look at the defence budget in light of the changing threat perceptions,'' he said.

The Army's new doctrine and "pro-active strategy" has also factored in the remote but plausible contingency of grappling with both China and Pakistan simultaneously in a two-front war, as was first reported by TOI earlier.

The armed forces had sought a defence outlay of Rs 2,39,123 crore this fiscal that would have amounted to 2.35% of the projected GDP for 2012-13, but ultimately got only Rs 1,93,408 crore to notch up 1.9%.

Now, after Gen VK Singh's warning about "critical hollowness" in the Army's operational capabilities to deal with two "inimical neighbours", the government is doing a serious rethink. "The defence budget has to be enhanced to deal with the new challenges," said Antony.

This came after opposition leader Arun Jaitley stressed the importance of shaping India's strategic policy and defence preparedness as per "changing geo-strategic realities". Though he was "almost sure" there would be no conflict, Jaitley said India had to be prepared for a "90-day full spectrum war". "How do we defeat Pakistan and how do we hold China? All this has to be factored in," he said.

Antony acknowledged there was need to "speed up" several plans already underway to boost operational military capabilities as well as border infrastructure through strategic road and rail links. "If China can increase its military strength in Tibet, India can do the same in Arunachal, Sikkim and other areas," he said.

Two new infantry divisions - with 1,260 officers and 35,011 soldiers - for instance, have been raised that are based in Zakama (Nagaland) and Missamari (Assam), apart from independent armoured and artillery brigades and a joint air defence center.

"In the 12th Plan period (2012-17) also, we will build a new offensive corps, with two specialized divisions for high-altitude areas. The (over Rs 60,000 crore) proposal has gone to finance ministry," said Antony.

This new mountain strike corps headquartered in Panagarh (West Bengal) will give India, which for long concentrated on only the land borders with Pakistan, new offensive ground capabilities against China.

Then, India will get aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya (Admiral Gorshkov) and indigenous nuclear submarine INS Arihant, armed with nuclear-tipped missiles, early next year to add to the nuclear attack submarine INS Chakra already inducted from Russia on a 10-year lease. "In fact, Navy will be getting five new warships every year from now onwards," said Antony.

IAF will be strengthened with 270 Russian Sukhoi-30MKIs already being inducted for around $12 billion, the 126 new medium multi-role combat aircraft to be acquired in the almost $20 billion MMRCA project and the 250 to 300 fifth-generation fighters to be built with Russia in the gigantic $35 billion programme.

Besides, apart from transport aircraft like C-17 Globemaster and C-130J Super Hercules, there will be 120 Tejas light combat aircraft as well as 51 upgraded Mirage-2000s and 63 MiG-29s to add to its combat fleet.

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News Network
October 22,2024

Several Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) schools across India were hit with hoax bomb threats on Tuesday, just days after an explosion occurred near a CRPF school in Delhi. The threats, sent via email late Monday night, targeted schools in Delhi and Hyderabad, according to sources.

Earlier this week, a bomb exploded outside a CRPF school in Delhi’s Rohini area, causing significant damage to nearby vehicles and property. Fortunately, no casualties or injuries were reported.

In response to the blast, Delhi Police confiscated CCTV footage from nearby markets as part of their investigation. Sources indicate that surveillance footage captured a suspect at the scene, wearing a white T-shirt, displaying suspicious behavior the night before the explosion.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the explosive device had been hidden in a polythene bag, buried in a shallow pit, and covered with garbage. The blast caused a hole in the school's boundary wall and shattered the window panes and signboards of nearby shops.

Following the incident, the Delhi Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) under Section 4 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, Section 3 of the Indian Explosives Act, and other relevant sections.

The FIR states, "A case of an explosion caused by an unknown explosive substance has been registered, and the investigation continues." It also details the damage, noting that the blast left a hole in the boundary wall and affected nearby structures.

The targeted schools serve children from CRPF and other paramilitary families, and the recent threats have heightened concerns. In response, Delhi authorities have placed the city on high alert, ramping up security measures, especially in markets, ahead of the Diwali festival. 

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News Network
October 21,2024

khalistan.jpg

Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on Monday warned passengers not to fly on Air India flights from November 1 to 19. He asserted that an attack could take place on an Air India flight during the specified dates, which coincide with the "40th anniversary of the Sikh genocide".

The founder of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), who holds dual citizenship in Canada and the US, had issued a similar threat around the same time last year.

Pannun's fresh threat comes amid several airlines in India receiving multiple threat calls about potential bombings, all of which turned out to be hoaxes. It also occurred at a time when India and Canada are engaged in a murky diplomatic row following Canada's allegations of India targeting Khalistani elements in the country, including the murder of another terrorist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

In November 2023, Pannun released a video claiming that Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport would be renamed and would remain closed on November 19, warning people against flying on Air India that day. The National Investigation Agency charged him with criminal conspiracy, promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion, and various offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

In December last year, Pannun threatened to attack the Parliament on or before December 13, following reports of an alleged foiled plot to kill him. December 13 marks the anniversary of the terrorist attack on the Parliament in 2001.

He also threatened to kill Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Director General of State Police Gaurav Yadav on Republic Day this year. He also urged gangsters to unite and launch an attack on Mann on January 26.

Pannun has been designated a terrorist by the Ministry of Home Affairs since July 2020 on charges of sedition and secessionism, as he leads SFJ, a group advocating for a separate sovereign Sikh state. A year prior to this, India banned SFJ as an "unlawful association" for engaging in "anti-national and subversive" activities.

In another development, on October 17, the United States charged a former officer of India's spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) for allegedly directing a foiled plot to murder Pannun, a charge New Delhi has rejected as baseless allegations.

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