KV Correspondent

Jaitley talks tough, in Kashmir, against Pakistan

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Arun Jaitley, who also runs the defence ministry, on Friday expressed his satisfaction over the “readiness” of troops along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir and said the troops were ready to give a befitting response to any “misadventure” by Pakistan.

 Jaitley met army commanders at a forward post along the LoC and reviewed the security situation which has deteriorated over a period of time. “Had a meeting with senior commanders & troops at a forward post along the LoC, and reviewed security situation.  The aggressive domination and readiness of troops for befitting response to any misadventure by enemy is very satisfying,” he tweeted.

 Jaitley, who also holds the finance portfolio, was here to attend a meeting of the GST (Goods and Services Tax) Council which began on Thursday. he surveyed forward posts along the LoC from air and interacted with troops in the Rampur sector where he asked  them to maintain vigil and foil any misadventure from across the border. Accompanied by General Officer Commanding of Chinar Corps, he lauded the high morale of the troops and assured them that the entire nation was with them.

 His visit here comes weeks after Pakistani Army allegedly beheaded two Indian soldiers in the Poonch district which was termed “barbaric” by India. While the Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat had hinted at retaliation to avenge the killings, Jaitley had said the sacrifice of the two soldiers will not go in vain and that the armed forces will react “appropriately”.

On Wednesday, at a meeting of the forces in Srinagar he asked the Army to work towards ensuring a peaceful atmosphere. The Defence Minister asked the armed force personnel to help build peace in Kashmir and cautioned against use of any excessive force. In the Wednesday’s meeting both the rising incidents of militants in Kashmir as well as the stepped up activity along the borders also came up for discussion. The meeting had reviewed the overall security situation amid heightened tension on the Line of Control (LoC) where India and Pakistan troops have been exchanging fire and the conditions that prevailed due to the increase in militant attacks and the student unrest in the Valley also came up for the review.

He was briefed on the overall preparedness of the army to meet challenges of ceasefire violations by Pakistan and the heightened risk of infiltration as the snow starts to thaw on the mountains. 


KV Correspondent

Kashmir Correspondent cover all daily updates for the newspaper

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