Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday emphasised the importance of national security and said strong defence capabilities commanded respect globally.Defence minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, and Deputy CMs Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak during the inauguration ceremony of ‘Nausena Shaurya Vatika’, in Lucknow on Saturday. (@rajnathsingh X/ANI Photo)Noting that ahimsa remained the highest virtue in normal circumstances, he also said decisive action was necessary against those who threatened the nation’s security.Yogi Adityanath was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the Nausena Shaurya Vatika in the state capital.Defence minister Rajnath Singh and chief minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the second phase of the Nausena Shaurya Museum, built over more than two acres at a cost of ₹19 crore, in the state capital.“When India is strong on the security front, the world will befriend it. No one bows before the weak,” the chief minister said on the occasion.“Visitors coming to this Vatika will get information about the Indian Navy. They will also get an opportunity to know the kind of challenging and adverse conditions in which our soldiers work. This information will inspire youth to face challenges in life. The Navy’s vision reflects its grand thinking,” he said.He referred to the motto Nabhah Sparsham Diptam, which translates to “touch the sky with glory” and said, “One must also think big. Great goals cannot be achieved with narrow thinking or limited emotions.”He further said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has placed before citizens the vision of Viksit Bharat and urged every Indian to follow the Panch Pran.“We must hold respect for the Army and uniformed forces in our hearts. When Indian soldiers guard borders in minus temperatures, desert heat and high seas, 140 crore Indians sleep peacefully,” he said.Adityanath said welfare and development schemes can succeed only in a secure environment.Before 2017, Uttar Pradesh faced daily curfews and professional mafia and criminals made life miserable, he said.“In an insecure atmosphere, prospects for development and investment faded. When soldiers perform duties with commitment to security, citizens too must respect them,” he added.The chief minister said that on one side of Lucknow stands the Rashtriya Prerna Sthal, inaugurated by the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister on December 25, 2025; while on the other side, the city has received a wonderful centre showcasing the bravery and valour of the Indian Armed Forces in the form of the Naval Museum.He added that it will be expanded further.“The defence minister had suggested that proposals related to other works associated with the Indian Armed Forces in the state should be submitted immediately,” Adityanath said.‘Decommissioned tanks shouldbe placed at key crossings’ He suggested that decommissioned tanks of the Indian Army should be placed at important intersections. “Whoever sees them will feel inspired to join the Army and respect it. Nothing is greater than patriotism,” he said.Adityanath expressed gratitude to Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi and his team for completing the work systematically within the deadline.He said every visitor to Lucknow can tour this naval centre linked to India’s traditions, heritage and security, and feel proud.The INS Gomti guarded India’s maritime borders for a long time through the Navy. Decommissioned in 2022, it has now been optimally used and installed on the banks of Lucknow’s lifeline, the Gomti river, he said.Prominent among those present on the occasion included Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, Deputy CMs Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, Rajya Sabha MPs Dr Dinesh Sharma and Brijlal, tourism minister Jaiveer Singh, Lucknow mayor Sushma Kharkwal, MLAs Yogesh Shukla, Rajeshwar Singh, OP Srivastava, Amresh Kumar, Jai Devi, MLCs Avnish Singh, Mukesh Sharma, Pawan Singh Chauhan, Umesh Dwivedi, Lalji Prasad Nirmal, Ramchandra Pradhan and others.