"We will not keep anybody in the dark. We will tell everything at an appropriate time to Parliament and to everybody," Rajnath Singh said while referring to the situation along the Line of Actual Control

India will never compromise on its “national pride” as it is no longer a “weak” country since its security capability has increased, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday. He also assured the Opposition that talks were in progress to resolve the border stand-off with China and that no one would be kept in the dark.

Addressing a virtual rally in Jammu and Kashmir, Singh said: “I want to assure that we will not compromise with national pride under any circumstance. India is no longer a weak India. Our strength in national security has risen. But this strength is not meant to frighten anyone but to secure our country.”

Stating that military talks were underway, Singh said: “China has expressed the desire to resolve the issue through dialogue and out effort too is to find a solution through talks at the military and diplomatic level.”

“We will not keep anybody in the dark. We will tell everything at an appropriate time to Parliament and to everybody,” he added while referring to the situation along the Line of Actual Control.

He also referred to former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s statement about finding a solution to the situation in Jammu and Kashmir through “Kashmiriyat, Insaniyat and Jamhooriyat”. “Though Vajpayee ji is no more, but we still believe in this principle of Kashmiriyat, Insaniyat and Jamhooriyat,” he said, adding that “through Kashmiriyat, we see Hazratbal and Amarnath also”.

He also took on the Congress over its opposition to the abrogation of Article 370. Stating that it was a temporary provision he asked: “If it was so important to the Congress, then why didn’t it make it a permanent provision?”

The minister also assured of several developments in the Union Territory in the next five years which will make “people living in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir” want to return.