'We would have lost Kargil, Doklam if not for investment in armed forces': Army Vice Chief

Vice Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General CP Mohanty on Sunday stated that India would have had lost the encounters in Galwan and Doklam had the country failed to invest in its armed forces.

"Had the country not invested in the security, we would have lost probably the war in Kargil, Doklam. Even internal security in Jammu and Kashmir would have been in turmoil. Our northeast region would have been in turmoil and Naxals would have had a field day," Lt Gen Mohanty said at an event.

Lt Gen recalls Tibetian invasion  

Replying to the critics on their 'huge expenditure in armed forces' remark, Mohanty recalled, "If Tibet had strong armed forces, they would have never been invaded."

The Vice Chief of Army Staff also said that the conflict in Doklam and Galwan has not only magnified the prestige of the nation but has also given the country a 'big stature' on the global front.

"Today everybody talks about India as the net security provider and it is a security umbrella against a big nation," he said.

Doklam-Galwan clash

The Chinese and Indian armies had engaged in violent face-offs and engagements at positions along the Sino-Indo border, including the disputed Pangong Lake region in Ladakh and the Tibet Autonomous Region. On the other hand, the 2017 China-India border standoff or the Doklam standoff points to the battles between the Indian Armed Forces and the People's Liberation Army of China over the construction of a road in Doklam near a trijunction border area, known as Donglang.

Indian armed forces - A symbol of national integration: CP Mohanty

"The Indian armed forces are a symbol of national integration as it rises above ethnicity, caste and creed," Lieutenant General Chandi Prasad Mohanty added.

The second in command of the Army staff, Mohanty spotlighted that the Indian Armed forces do not have any political aspirations and that they respect the politics in the country.

"There have been other examples where the military leaders had political aspirations. The Indian Armed Forces have no such aspirations, we respect the politics here," Mohanty pressed.

Inputs: ANI

Image: PTI@ADGPI-TWITTER