India's Defence Minister Vows to Combat Maritime Piracy

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has assured that piracy and smuggling will not be tolerated in India, emphasizing India's role as a superpower in the Indo-Pacific region. The commissioning of INS Sandhayak into the Indian Navy at the Naval Dockyard in Vizag by Rajnath Singh marked the formal induction of the ship, which will strengthen India's maritime influence and protect the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific region. The defense minister warned that India will take strict action against nefarious activities in the region, while supporting the Indian Navy's prompt action against piracy bids in the Arabian Sea. The commissioning of INS Sandhayak also highlighted India's commitment to maintain freedom of navigation, trade, and commerce among different countries, in addition to stopping illegal and unregulated fishing in the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific region. Rajnath Singh praised the Indian Navy for averting piracy attempts, providing security to Indian and friendly countries' ships, and stopping narcotics and human trafficking in the region.