July 26 is celebrated as Kargil Vijay Diwas every year.
Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Friday warned Pakistan of a "bloodier nose" if it chooses to go into another war with India while advising the neighbouring country of not repeating "misadventures". "Don''t do it. Misadventures are normally not repeated. You''ll get a bloodier nose next time," he said in a press conference when asked about his message to Pakistan on the 20th anniversary of India''s victory in the Kargil war.
Earlier today, President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to the soldiers who defended India during the Kargil war, in 1999. In his post on the occasion to celebrate the 20th anniversary of India's victory over Pakistan, PM Modi said that the day should be remembered for the "courage, bravery and dedication" shown by the soldiers who took part in Operation Vijay. President Kovind hailed the "grit and valour of those who defended India" during the operation.
In 1999, Indian troops overcome seemingly insurmountable odds, hostile terrain, weather, and successfully recaptured several mountain tops overlooking the strategic Srinagar-Leh highway from Pakistani intruders.
Since then, the day is celebrated as Kargil Vijay Diwas.
Indian Army is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Kargil War today in honour of the soldiers who displayed immense valour during the operation.
July 26 is celebrated as Kargil Vijay Diwas every year to mark India's victory over Pakistan on this day in 1999.
Here are the Live Updates on Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrations:
Kargil Hero Runs Last Lap With Victory Flame In Jammu and Kashmir
Kargil hero Major Devender Pal Singh, who was left with an amputated leg after the conflict, ran the last lap with the Victory Flame in Drass sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, on the occasion of Vijay Diwas.
Major Singh was the target of a Pakistani mortar bomb during the Kargil war.
The flame he carried was flagged off by Home Minister Rajnath Singh from Delhi on July 14.
Pak Cannot Fight Full-Fledged War With India: Rajnath Singh
Pakistan can neither fight a full-fledged nor a limited war with India and is waging a proxy war, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday." Mr Singh said the bravery and sacrifice of soldiers cannot be forgotten. "Our neighbouring country (Pakistan) cannot fight a full-
fledged war or a limited war with India. It is fighting a proxy war," Mr Singh said.
Sports fraternity pay tribute to Kargil heroes Sports fraternity on Friday saluted the Indian soldiers who made sacrifices on the line of duty, on the 20th anniversary of India''s triumph in the Kargil war.
Players across different sports took to Twitter to hail the Indian soldiers.
Gautam Gambhir, Former Indian cricketer and East Delhi MP, tweeted: ""ai mere vtn ke logoN, tum khuub lgaa lo naaraa ye shubh din hai hm sbkaa, lhraa lo tirNgaa pyaaraa pr mt bhuulo siimaa pr, viiroN ne haiN praann gvaaye kuch yaad unheN bhii kr lo, jo lautt ke ghr n aaye / " kaargil ke shhiid jvaanoN ko meraa dil se sht sht nmn / bhaart maataa kii jy #KargilVijayDiwas."
India opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan said that he will not forget the sacrifices made by the Indian Army.
"I will never forget the sacrifices made by the martyrs of our Indian Army, the courage they showed in the Kargil war. Jai Hind! #KargilVijayDiwas," Dhawan tweeted.
India batsman Suresh Raina also paid his tribute as he wrote: "I salute the unflinching courage of our martyred soldiers & everyone who fought the Kargil War diligently, protected the nation & its people. Your sacrifices will be held in high regard & remembered today & every day. #KargilVijayDiwas."
"I bow down to the sacrifice of the soldiers who reclaimed the peaks, sacrificed their lives and salute the courage and valour of the men and women who stand guard. #KargilVijayDiwas," former Indian cricket VVS Laxman wrote.
Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif tweeted: " "Kargil ke Amar Jawan, Aapko hamara Salaam". Homage and gratitude to our brave soldiers. The nation will always be grateful to you for your sacrifice, valour and courage #KargilVijayDiwas."
"All Gave Some,Some Gave All. Fallen But Never Forgotten. #KargilVijayDivas #20YearsOfKargilVijay," wrote Indian boxer Vijendra Singh on the micro-blogging site.
The Indian armed forces had defeated Pakistan on July 26, 1999. Since then, the day is celebrated as Kargil Vijay Diwas.
"My soldier must continue to remain empowered. Empowering the soldier means that he is well trained at all times, providing weaponry, ammunition, equipment. Need to keep soldiers' morale high, I think we are meeting this challenge rather well. Our soldier has very little demands, he has fought wars with clothing which may not be up to the standard. He can fight without food, only thing he needs is weapons and devices. We have decided to prioritize procurement because the proxy war is here to stay," Army Chief said..
Army Chief General Bipin Rawat is holding a press conference on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of India's victory over Pakistan in Kargil.
He said that the Indian soldiers overcame harsh conditions to throw back the Pakistani intruders in Kargil. "Icy heights. Difficult circumstances. Indian soldier ensured that the task given to him was completed, he knew that he had to live by the reputation of Indian Army," he said.
Visuals of Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrations at Kargil War Memorial in Jammu and Kashmir's Drass.
Fly past by the fighter aircraft that took part in the Kargil war, has also been called off due to bad weather at Drass, reports news agency ANI.
President Kovind's visit to Drass cancelled due to bad weather
President Ram Nath Kovind's visit to Drass celebrate '20 years of Kargil Vijay Divas has been cancelled due to bad weather. President Kovind will not attend the celebrations at Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar today.
Later in the day, the President will visit the war memorial in Jammu and Kashmir's Drass to pay tributes to soldiers who laid down their lives in the 1999 conflict.
The war memorial has around 500 tombstones with the name of soldiers inscribed in them.
The Indian armed forces had defeated Pakistan on July 26, 1999. Since then, the day is celebrated as Kargil Vijay Diwas.
Indian Army is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Kargil War today to rekindle the pride and valour of the soldiers who took part in Operation Vijay.
President Ram Nath Kovind hailed the "grit and valour of those who defended India" on the 20th anniversary of India's triumph in the Kargil war.
"On Kargil Vijay Diwas, a grateful nation acknowledges the gallantry of our Armed Forces on the heights of Kargil in 1999. We salute the grit and valour of those who defended India, and record our everlasting debt to those who never returned. Jai Hind," President Kovind tweeted.
PM Modi also shared some pictures of his visit to Kargil during the conflict and his interaction with the soldiers. The prime minister said that in 1999, he was working for the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. "The visit to Kargil and interactions with soldiers are unforgettable," PM Modi said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to the soldiers who defended India during the Kargil war, in 1999. In his post on the occasion to celebrate the 20th anniversary of India's victory over Pakistan, PM Modi said that the day should be remembered for the "courage, bravery and dedication" shown by the soldiers who took part in Operation Vijay.