Rajnath Singh Warns Everything Can Be Weaponised Citing Israel's Pager Blasts

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the North Tech Symposium in Prayagraj, Singh said recent global developments show how quickly the character of conflict is evolving, with new and unpredictable tools emerging as weapons.

"Human history has rarely witnessed such an explosive pace of technological change. To understand the impact of unprecedented speed and productivity, the example of the Russia-Ukraine conflict is before you. Consider how drastically the nature of war changed within just 3-4 years of the conflict. In the early days of this conflict, we saw it begin as a conventional conflict, in which equipment like tanks and missiles was relevant. But gradually, the nature of this war changed, and we saw how drones and sensors emerged as the centrepiece of this war... But now, a surprise element is constantly emerging that was previously unimaginable. Things we considered part of normal civilian life have now become deadly weapons," he said.

Referring to the pager blasts in Lebanon and Syria, Singh added, "Could anyone have imagined that a seemingly ordinary pager would become a bomb? The pager attacks in Lebanon and Syria have forced the entire world to rethink warfare. No one can predict what could become a weapon these days... Everything can be weaponised. Now, in such a situation, when this dire form of change is before us, the preparedness of a country like India becomes even more important..."

The Defence Minister's remarks come in the frame of the Israeli operation, widely referred to as "Operation Grim Beepers", in which communication devices, the pagers, used by Hezbollah operatives exploded across Lebanon and Syria.

The coordinated blasts killed at least 39 people and injured more than 3,000, according to various media reports.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later acknowledged Israel's role in the attacks during a cabinet meeting, marking the first public confirmation after weeks of ambiguity.

In his United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) address, Netanyahu said, "You remember those beepers, the pagers, we paged Hezbollah, and believe me, they got the message."

The Indian Defence Minister made the statement after inaugurating the North Tech Symposium themed "Raksha Triveni Sangam - Where Technology, Industry & Soldiering Converge".

The three-day event, jointly organised by the Indian Army's Northern and Central Commands and the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers, will see participation from 284 companies showcasing indigenous defence technologies.

- ANI