India biggest guarantee of peace in IOR: Rajnath

HYDERABAD: The Indian Navy is the "biggest guarantee of peace in the entire Indian Ocean Region , including the Bay of Bengal ", defence minister Rajnath Singh said Tuesday while laying the foundation stone of the navy's very low frequency (VLF) radar station in Vikarabad in Telangana.

"The countries with which India shares its maritime boundaries should understand that maritime security is a collective effort. Summoning external forces at your doorstep hurts this effort," Singh said, in the backdrop of Chinese warships visiting Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

In a message to some of India's neighbours, he said maintaining peace and order in the Bay of Bengal and the IOR "should be the top priority of all of us". "The support of all friendly countries is necessary in this endeavour of India as, even if one country is left out, the entire security wheel snaps. India believes in uniting rather than dividing," he added.

Beyond its military significance, the VLF station will help in the growth of Vikarabad district by creating job opportunities and spurring infrastructure development, Singh asserted.

CM A Revanth Reddy, who also addressed the gathering, appealed to Singh to secure benefits for local residents. "I urge the minister to ensure that students from the local community have a quota in the schools that will be built, and that healthcare facilities are accessible to locals. If the people can benefit from these developments, this project will serve the dual purpose of enhancing national security and improving the welfare of our citizens," Reddy said.

(Inputs from New Delhi)