He was addressing an event to release a five-volume book on Deendayal Upadhyay. Newly elected Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar was also present on the occasion.
He mentioned Deendayal Upadhyay as the first person to speak in favor of nuclear weapons for India after China tested nuclear weapons in 1964.
The minister also claimed that even after having nuclear weapons in 1998 under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, India also used nuclear weapons as a deterrent and never intended to use them against any country.
"Because of that deterrence, the Indian Army today has the full confidence of self-defense. Today in 2022, when India's army engages with China, it does so on an equal footing.
"If any power looks towards India with evil intention, Indian soldiers have the capability to give a befitting reply," he said.
The minister also affirmed that the goal of the country's defense programs is not to be just self-sufficient in its defense needs but also to export defense items to other countries. "I can say we are moving fast towards fulfilling the dreams of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay," he said.
He informed the audience that the Defence Ministry had issued three "positive indigenization lists" of 310 defense items that would be entirely manufactured in India and would not be procured from any other country under any circumstances after a deadline.
"You will be happy to know that we have earmarked a major part of our budget for buying only from domestic vendors," he told the gathering.
With Inputs from PTI.
