Ready to return to combat if required, says T’gana Minister Uttam Reddy

Telangana Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, a former Indian Air Force pilot, on Friday expressed his willingness to return to combat duty if the country called on him again.

In an informal interaction with reporters at Gandhi Bhavan here, Uttam Kumar Reddy reflected on his military background and commented on the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan.

Reddy recalled joining the armed forces at 16 and flying MiG-21s by 1982. Later, he got behind the controls of the MiG-23.

“I was just 20, already a fighter pilot,” a release quoted him as saying.

Referring to the Pahalgam terror attack, Uttam Kumar Reddy said it was backed by Pakistan and slammed the killings, especially those carried out in the name of religion.

“India had every reason to hit back,” he said, backing the country's military response.

On ‘Operation Sindoor’, Uttam Kumar Reddy claimed that Rafale jets and Kamikaze drones were deployed from within Indian territory as part of the mission.

Such strong responses are crucial if India ever hopes to achieve a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue. “Personally, I believe the Kashmir conflict won’t truly end until India takes back Pakistan-occupied Kashmir,” he opined.

Asked if it comes down to war, Uttam Kumar Reddy said: “If there’s a full-scale conflict and I’m needed - I’ll fight again.”