In a stern message to Pakistan, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday said Indian forces will give “adequate response” to any form of ceasefire violation on the border.
After a visit to the Line of Control (LoC), he said Indian Army is fully prepared to foil any form of infiltration bid. For those perpetuating violence from within, he said such people will be dealt with. He also said that investigation is on into the incident of the army allegedly tying a man to the front of a jeep as a human shield, but added that the Army was interested in saving the lives of both the people who had come to vote and a large crowd of protesters. Priority right now, he said, is to restore normalcy.
“I did visit the LoC. I would compliment the Indian army for the level of preparedness and enthusiasm. Our soldiers are fully confident that they would not allow any form of infiltration to take place,” he told reporters here.
He said terrorism and militancy are aimed both against the Indian state, its sovereignty and also against the people of Jammu and Kashmir and it is local people, alongside the security personnel, who are losing their lives. “And, therefore, those who have taken on to violence of this magnitude will certainly be accountable for their actions,” he said.
Jaitley, who is also finance minister, said it was known that Hyurriat and other militant organisations were being “funded from across the border”.
“They were funded to create unrest, they were funded to burn schools, they were funded to kill people and destroy public property. So their actions were a conspiracy against not only Indian state but also the average resident of Kashmir valley,” he said.
