Kargil Vijay Diwas: President Murmu, Rajnath Singh salute 'valour & courage' of war heroes

On Kargil Vijay Diwas, Madam President Droupadi Murmu, a day after assuming charge of the highest constitutional post of India, paid tribute to the brave hearts who sacrificed their lives for the nation in the 1999 Kargil War. 

Several senior ministers and leaders also paid tribute to the brave sons of Mother India. 

Taking to Twitter, President of India Droupadi Murmu said, “Kargil Vijay Diwas is a symbol of extraordinary valour, courage and determination of our armed forces. I bow to all the brave soldiers who laid down their lives to protect Mother India. All the countrymen will always be indebted to them and their family members. Jai Hind!”

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh paid homage to the Kargil War Brave hearts who left no stone unturned to safeguard their motherland against Pakistani infiltrators.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, “On Kargil Vijay Diwas, India salutes the bravery, courage and sacrifice of our armed forces. They fought valiantly in extremely harsh conditions to defend our motherland. Their act of valour & indomitable spirit will remain etched forever as a defining moment in India’s history.”

Home Minister, Senior leaders pay tribute to Bravehearts 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also took to Twitter to bow down to all the soldiers for their immense sacrifice. 

Home Minister Amit Shah said, “Kargil Vijay Diwas is a symbol of the indomitable courage and valour of the Indian Armed Forces. Today is a day to be proud as well as to honour and remember the valour of our soldiers.”

“With their bravery, I salute the soldiers who raised the tricolour again after driving out the enemies from Kargil,” He added.

On the other hand, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also paid tribute to laid down their lives for the country. 

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said, “We are proud of the valour of our soldiers. The whole world believes in the indomitable courage and valour of the Indian Army.”

“The brave soldiers of the Indian Army had forced the enemy to flee even in adverse circumstances in Kargil. The nation will always remember the sacrifices made by the brave soldiers to protect the borders of the country in the Kargil war,” the Chief Minister added. 

Kargil Vijay Diwas

Kargil Vijay Diwas, also known as the Kargil Victory Day, is celebrated on July 26 every year to mark the historic day when India conquered Pakistan in the Kargil War that occurred in 1999. Following the Indo-Pak War of 1971, tensions between India and Pakistan intensified, reaching an all-time high in the 1990s as a result of separatist operations in Kashmir, which contributed to an atmosphere of growing animosity in the Valley.

The Lahore Declaration, which sought to find a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir issue, was signed by India and Pakistan in February 1999 in an effort to minimise tensions over the disputed areas of Jammu. However, the Pakistani Army surreptitiously trained and sent troops into Indian territory across the Line of Control while disguising them as "mujahedeen" in 1998-1999.

The Indian troops in the area allegedly presumed that the infiltrators were Jihadis, regardless of the type or degree of the infiltration. The Indian armed forces, however, came to the conclusion that the attack was planned on a much larger scale after learning of infiltrations in other parts of the Valley. The Government of India initiated Operation Vijay and stationed over 2,00,000 Indian troops in the Valley in response to the violations along the LOC and the contempt for the provisions of the Lahore Treaty. The war came to an end on 26 July 1999 and 527 Indian soldiers were martyred in the battle.