India faced pseudo war with China in Op Sindoor: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said India faced a “pseudo war” with China during Operation Sindoor as that nation supplied arms and provided logistical backing to Pakistan during the conflict.

Indian-made drones and missiles demonstrated their precision and prowess during the conflict, which took place between May 7 and 10 last year, while Chinese-made drones and missiles (used by Pakistan) could not hit our targets and were neutralised by our air defence system, the CM said at an event marking 12 years of Narendra Modi’s prime ministership.

“During Operation Sindoor, India showed its military prowess. India was not only fighting against Pakistan, but we were also engaged in a pseudo-war with China. Pakistan received arms and all types of logistical support from China,” Fadnavis said.

India had undergone a major transformation under Modi’s leadership and moved from a “culture of waiting for favours” to one of confidence and self-reliance, Fadnavis added.

He said India’s GDP had increased from `103 lakh crore around 12 years ago to `357 lakh crore now, while Maharashtra’s gross state domestic product had risen from `13 lakh crore to `54 lakh crore during the same period. “The previous UPA regime believed in keeping people dependent on subsidies instead of creating opportunities, whereas the Modi Government expanded the economy, attracted investments and focused on last-mile delivery of welfare schemes. The Centre’s thrust on infrastructure through Bharatmala and Sagarmala has significantly reduced logistics costs and strengthened India’s position in the global supply chain,” he said.

With logistics costs steadily declining, India can compete with China in supply chain replacement and emerge as a major player in the world supply chain, the CM added.

The chief minister also accused the earlier UPA Government of neglecting road infrastructure near border areas due to fears that China could use these in the event of a conflict.

Quoting a Northern Command officer, Fadnavis said the earlier Government was reluctant to build roads close to the borders, while the present dispensation created infrastructure networks enabling artillery and military supplies to reach border areas within hours.

Referring to maritime infrastructure, he said the upcoming Vadhavan port project in Palghar district would emerge among the world’s top 10 ports from the very beginning.

“JNPT does not figure among the world’s top 30 ports in cargo handling. Countries that dominate sea routes dominate the global economy. The Vadhavan port file was closed in 1992, but after we came to power, we revived it, secured all clearances and started development. It will be three times bigger than JNPT and will take India ahead by 30 years as a symbol of maritime power,” Fadnavis said.

He also hailed India’s rail infrastructure and said Vande Bharat trains matched global standards.

“I travelled to Shirdi by Vande Bharat. It is as good as trains in Japan, Switzerland or China. There is no difference in terms of service, and the coaches are made domestically,” he said.

Fadnavis said the implementation of GST had broken trade barriers and benefited manufacturing-heavy Maharashtra despite criticism from the Opposition when the tax reform was introduced.

He said Maharashtra’s tax collection had increased from Rs 75,000 crore in 2017-18 to Rs 2.75 lakh crore last year. Maharashtra’s GST collection exceeded the combined collections of the next two States, he added.

“Everyone said GST would fail in India, but Modi created a huge GSTN network where taxes are filed seamlessly, and revenues are automatically distributed between the Centre and States,” he said.

Fadnavis further claimed Maharashtra was attracting 40 per cent of the country’s total foreign direct investment (FDI).

Highlighting India’s digital economy, he described UPI as a “miracle” and said at least 25 countries were using the Indian payment platform or adopting similar systems.

“UPI is another miracle of the digital economy, where transactions are made seamlessly. I was in Davos, where Brazil’s finance minister said they were using India’s digital transaction model. I felt proud,” he said.

On foreign policy and trade, Fadnavis said India had protected farmers’ interests while negotiating trade treaties and free trade agreements.

“Even when trade barriers were imposed, India did not succumb. We ensured subsidised products of US farmers could not enter India without safeguards. We protected our farmers while formalising trade treaties,” he said.

He said the proposed India-EU free trade agreement would help Indian goods enter European markets without barriers and noted that India enjoyed trade surpluses with several countries.

Fadnavis also highlighted India’s growing defence manufacturing capabilities under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

“India once imported weapons but is now manufacturing and exporting them. Defence exports worth Rs 50,000 crore have been achieved,” he said.

“The defence production capacity of many major Indian companies for the next five years has already been booked by Israel. This is India’s strength,” the chief minister added.