Addressing a gathering in Maharashtra's Dhule, Rajnath Singh said that India never attacks first, but if provoked, it can cross the border and attack.

In a stern warning to Pakistan, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said that India can cross the border if the Imran Khan administration tries to destabilise or "divide" our country. He stated that India never attacks first but if provoked it can cross the border and attack.

"I want to ask our neighbouring country as to why they want to destabilize, divide our country? Earlier there was no airstrike, surgical strike but we did and gave a message that we can kill terrorists in our territory and across the border also," Rajnath Singh said.

Several development projects were inaugurated in presence of Rajnath Singh. A memorial of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja and a road named after General Bipin Singh Rawat were also inaugurated.

Taking a jibe on Opposition, the Defence Minister said, "Due to differences in the words and deeds of politicians, people started losing trust in politicians. Our govt accepted this as a challenge and are working to end it. We do what we say."

'If wanted, we could have occupied their land in 1971 war'

Last week, in an indirect attack on Pakistan, Singh said, "India is such a country in the world that has never attacked any country nor occupied one inch of the land of any country. If we wanted, we could have occupied their land in the 1971 war. I won't take the name of that country."

He also attacked Islamabad for naming its missiles after invaders who attacked India. In response, he said that India has named its missile arsenal after names like Sant, Prithvi and Agni.

"The ones who attacked India, Pakistan keep their missiles name's on that like Ghazni, Ghauri. Whereas, India's missiles names are Prithvi, Agni, Sant, which was tested yesterday. I congratulate the DRDO for this," he added.

On December 16, India celebrated 50 years of its win against Pakistan and the liberation of Bangladesh. India won the war against Pakistan in just 13 days on December 16, 1971, with more than 93,000 Pakistani prisoners of war, when West Pakistan's military forces surrendered in Bangladesh.