Drass: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday paid tribute to brave hearts who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty in the 1999 Kargil War.
PM Modi laid a wreath at the Kargil War Memorial in Drass, Ladakh, on the occasion of the 25th Kargil Vijay Diwas.
Kargil Vijay Diwas, observed annually on July 26, commemorates the success of Operation Vijay in 1999.
During this operation in 1999, Armed Forces successfully reclaimed strategic positions in the Kargil sector of Jammu and Kashmir that had been infiltrated by Pakistani soldiers and terrorists.
The Prime Minister virtually carried out the first blast of the Shinkun La Tunnel project in Kargil.
The Shinkun La Tunnel Project consists of a 4.1-kilometre-long twin-tube tunnel that will be constructed at an altitude of around 15,800 feet on the Nimu-Padum-Darcha Road to provide all-weather connectivity to Leh. Once completed, it will be the highest tunnel in the world.
On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas, Prime Minister Modi emphasised the Agnipath scheme during his address in Kargil on Friday.
Highlighting the scheme, PM Modi said that the goal of Agnipath was to make the Army young and keep the Army continuously fit for war. He said that the major reforms in the army have been a long-standing demand.
The Prime Minister criticised the opposition parties opposing the scheme for "politicising" a "sensitive issue related to national security." (with Agency inputs)
