From surgical strikes to Rafale deal: Manohar Parrikar’s term as Defence Minister

From the defence forces carrying out a surgical strike to signing of the Rafale deal, Manohar Parrikar had an eventful tenure as the defence minister.

Parrikar died Sunday fighting a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was diagnosed in early February last year.

His nearly three-year tenure saw the Army conducting the surgical strike in September 2016, after a terror attack claimed lives of 19 soldiers in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir.

Parrikar also ensured that the long-pending Light Combat Aircraft Tejas is inducted in the Indian Air Force’s fleet.

The Defence Ministry paying tribute to Parrikar, tweeted, “@DefenceMinIndia conveys deep condolences on demise of former RM, Mr @manoharparrikar. With hallmarks of strong & decisive leadership, Mr Manohar Parrikar will be missed by whole of the def establishment. Mr Parrikar was at the helm in defence of the Nation from 2014 to 2017.”

A report in The Hindu daily over the progressions of the Rafale deal cited a November 24, 2015 note of Parrikar, the then Defence Ministry which said that parallel discussions by the PMO “weakened the negotiating position of the MoD and Indian negotiating team”.

Later, Parrikar had termed the note an “overreaction”.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sithataraman tweeted, “Shri Manohar Parrikar is no more. A sincere, honest and sensitive political activist. Was simple and down to earth, I learnt a lot from Shri Parrikar. As Raksha Mantri his contribution to making the armed forces a modernised, lean and mean fighting machine will remain unparalleled.”

Monohar Parrikar had moved back to Goa as the chief minister of the coastal state following political compulsion that ensued after the state polls and BJP allies demanded that he head the government.

He served as the CM of Goa till his last breath. He died on Sunday following prolonged illness.

 

Saurabh Chopra

With a blend of vivid areas of interest, Saurabh is a passionate reader and a news writer. He is always enthusiastic and proactive in finding the latest in his fields of interest. Saurabh is also a keen observer in the economic and business pits and falls.

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