JAMMU, Dec 27: The Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, on Wednesday said that Indian Army will “wipe out terrorism”, will win “any kind of war with the enemy” and above all win over the hearts of the people of Jammu and Kashmir by its professional conduct.
“The Indian Army is not considered an ordinary force in the world. The people accept that the Army is much more powerful than ever and also well-equipped compared. You are the guardians of the nation but alongside protecting the country, you need to win the hearts of the citizens. It is a big responsibility on your shoulders,” Rajnath Singh said, while interacting with the troops at Rajouri.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh assured justice to the families of three civilians who were found dead last week after being allegedly picked up by the Army following an ambush on two of Army vehicles in Poonch district.
“Make sure such incidents don’t happen again,” he told the Army jawans.
Singh, accompanied by Army chief General Manoj Pande and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi and Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, reached Rajouri district this afternoon, where he met the families of the deceased and also visited the Government Medical College (GMC) to enquire about the health of four other victims.
“Please have faith in us. Nobody can bring back to life of those who have died. But there will be justice,” Singh told five members of three families of the deceased.
Singh further said that they are all pained at the loss of lives in Poonch.
Rajnath Singh also visited the border areas of Jammu & Kashmir and took stock of the security situation along the Line of Control (LoC).
He took detailed first-hand assessment of the prevailing situation as well as the counter-terror operations in the area. The Defence Minister took a detailed brief on the prevalent security situation, counter-infiltration grid, operational preparedness and also discussed the challenges with the commanders on ground.
Singh was on a day-long visit to Rajouri and Jammu following a terrorist ambush in Poonch.
Addressing the troops at a military garrison in Rajouri, the defence minister lauded the troops for their bravery.
Singh also paid tributes to the soldiers martyred in Rajouri and conveyed his condolences to the families of the brave hearts. He wished a speedy recovery to the injured soldiers.
Rajnath Singh assured the troops that the government stands with the Armed Forces and the nation will forever be indebted to the unparalleled valour and sacrifice of the soldiers.
He said that the welfare of the Armed Forces is the Government’s top priority and added that additional efforts are being made to bolster the security and intelligence framework.
He described the recent incidents in the sector as unfortunate and asked all ranks to undertake operations based on hard intelligence, in accordance with established procedures aided by niche technology. He urged all Commanders to have zero tolerance for violations of the well-established SOPs.
Rajnath Singh also met with the families of the deceased persons, residents of village Topa Peer of Bufliaz in Poonch district. He assured expeditious investigation into the incident culminating into deliverance of justice.
He expressed satisfaction over the high level of synergy between the security forces, civil administration, J&K Police, Central Armed Police Forces and other security agencies in projecting a clear message of resoluteness towards improving of the security environment, that is conducive to fostering a new era of development in the Union Territory (UT).
He also complimented the local people for their steadfastness and contribution towards joining the mainstream efforts undertaken by the Government of India.
