Rajnath Singh lauds Indian Army, credits them for maintaining India's unity

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday appreciated the contributions of ex-servicemen and jawans of the Indian Army and credited them for maintaining the unity and integrity of the country.

Speaking on the occasion of the fourth Armed Forces Veterans' Day, Rajnath Singh said, "If India is safe today, if not only the borders but also the unity of the country is intact, the credit goes to brave people like you, the jawans of the Armed Forces."

He emphasised that the country understands - once a soldier, always a soldier. Rajnath Singh also said that he was pleased to be the Defence Minister of India. 

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Rajnath Singh hails decision of appointing CDS

The Defence Minister also underlined that even though there had been discussion about creating a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) or the past 20-21 years, the same was cleared by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

"Discussions had been going on since 20-21 years that there should be a Chief of Defence Staff. But as soon as I became the Defence Minister, I discussed this with the PM. He didn't wait for even a moment and said OK to it," he said.

Rajnath Singh further mentioned that it was a veteran who had suggested him to take the step regarding the creation of CDS. The Defence Minister also said that the welfare of veterans was of great importance to the Central government.

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(With inputs from ANI)