National

Modi Government reduced Agni 5 Missile range by 500 kms, claims Congress

Bhubaneswar : India on Wednesday successfully test-fired the strategic missile Agni-5. After this the Congress Party claims that Modi Government has reduced it’s range by 500 kms.

In a tweet, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Sevadal said that Agni-5 was first successfully test-fired on 19 April 2012 with a strike range of 5500 km. Modi government reduced its range by 500 km, it alleged.

The missile was carried out around 7:50 PM from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha.

While the grand old party went ahead with its accusation of range reduction, BJP leaders hailed the successful launch.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan lauded Narendra Modi saying India under the PM is emerging stronger and more confident.

“Our armament is to maintain peace in the region while securing Indian interests and safeguarding our borders. Kudos to our scientists & engineers at @DRDO_India for developing more sophisticated #AGNI5. Nation under PM @narendramodi Ji is emerging stronger and more confident,” he said in a tweet.

MoS Home Harsh Sanghvi said that India has become self-reliant in the missile sector.

“Another feather added in India’s growth & development as India test-fires surface-to-surface ballistic missile Agni-5, capable of striking targets at ranges up to 5K km,” he said.

The Agni 5 project is aimed at enhancing India’s nuclear deterrence against China.

The missile uses a three-stage solid fuelled engine and can strike targets with a very high degree of accuracy.

The successful test of Agni-5 is in line with India’s stated policy to have “credible minimum deterrence” that underpins the commitment to “No First Use”.

The missile is the bedrock of India’s nuclear deterrent along with submarine-based nuclear missiles, which had not yet been tested to anywhere close to this range.

Issuing a brief statement, the defence ministry said that the successful test of Agni-5 is in line with India’s stated policy to have credible minimum deterrence that underpins the commitment to ‘No First Use’.

The successful test-firing of the missile comes amid the ongoing border standoff between India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The missile has a height of 17 metres and it is capable of carrying a 1.5-tonne warhead.

Dear Readers,
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.

Related posts