Rajnath set to skip Russia's victory day parade; junior defence minister to represent India

The move to send the Minister of State for Defence to the May 9 ceremony comes amid increasing tensions between India and Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack.

New Delhi: Amidst escalating Indo-Pak tension, the Union government has decided not to send Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to Russia to participate in the May 9 Victory Day celebration as decided earlier.

Singh’s deputy, Sanjay Seth, was likely to represent India in Moscow next week, sources said.

Russia had invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Victory Day parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Germany in the Second World War, but it was decided that Singh would attend the event.

But the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack changed the situation as Singh was an integral part of the core team that formed the counter-strategies and reached out to world leaders.

A number of high-level security reviews, including two meetings of the Cabinet Committee on Security, took place in the last two weeks, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly giving a free hand to the armed forces to decide on the manner of military response.

Meanwhile, the cross-border exchange of fire continued with the Indian Army reporting ceasefire violations at multiple locations in the intervening night of May 2-3.

“Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked small-arms fire across the Line of Control opposite the Kupwara, Uri, and Akhnoor areas of the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. Indian Army responded promptly and proportionately,” sources in the Indian Army said.

Indian Army formations deployed close to the Line of Control have been keeping a close eye on Pakistani arms movement, whereas the IAF has enhanced the number of operation-ready platforms at its bases. The Indian Navy, too is practising firing drills, and frontline warships are on alert.