Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth to represent India at Russia’s Victory Day celebrations on May 9.
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ANI
Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth will represent India at Russia’s Victory Day celebrations in Moscow on May 9. Seth was chosen by the government after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed his unwillingness to commemorate 80th anniversary of the erstwhile Soviet Union’s victory over Germany in World War II due to pre-occupation at home.
Union Home Ministry sources said growing tension between India and Pakistan post Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 tourists, including one from Nepal, dead and 17 others injured, and other important engagements have prevailed upon Singh to reconsider his visit to Moscow.
Singh, said Ministry of Defence sources, will start the week with defence bilateral meeting with Japan on Monday.
The Defence Minister, otherwise, was supposed to attend the celebration on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who too has backed out because of the terror attack in Kashmir, which he has vowed to avenge to bring to justice not only terrorists but their backers as well.
Modi had also curtailed his two-day Saudi Arabia trip due to the terror strike in Pahalgam on April 22 and returned to India to take stock of situation and articulate India’s response.
Modi, however, visited Russia twice before last year for an annual summit with President Vladimir Putin and later to attend Brics Summit. Rajnath too had been on official tour to Moscow last December for inter-governmental meeting on military issues as well as to supervise INS Tushil, latest multi role stealth guided missile frigate, commissioning into Indian Navy.
Pakistan is facing international isolation on harbouring and perpetrating terrorism apart from fearing an imminent attack from India and to avoid that it’s seeking mediation from top global leaders.
Putin had also condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which he had called as “brutal crime” that has no “justification” and said he expected that its “organisers and perpetrators will face deserved punishment.”
On the other hand, US statement to express condolence on the loss of lives in Pahalgam terror attack was seen as more forthright as it backed India’s right to defend itself post Modi openly vowing to hunt down terrorists and their defenders “at the ends of the earth”.
Nineteen heads of nations, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, have confirmed their presence at the Victory Parade that became a legacy since the fragmentation of Soviet Union in 1991.
Since 1995, the parade has become an annual affair to display the military might of Russia.
Published on May 3, 2025