‘Can’t even build their roads’: Rajnath Singh’s stinging jibe at Pakistan

TIL Desk/National/New Delhi/ In a veiled swipe at Pakistan, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said countries which are unable to protect their sovereignty and cannot even build roads or do trade on their own become like India’s ‘neighbours’.

Singh’s comments are seen as an indirect reference to Pakistan where China has been rapidly enhancing its influence in an increasing number of areas including trade and infrastructure development.

In an address at an online event, Singh also highlighted the effective response by India’s armed forces in dealing with various security threats including the challenge to the country’s territorial integrity or confronting cross-border terrorism.

“Countries which are not able to protect their sovereignty become like our neighbours. Those who can neither make their own ‘road’, nor walk on it, nor do trade themselves, nor stop anyone else from doing trade,” he said.