Nirmala Sitharaman interacting with army personnel at a forward post at the LoC. Twitter photo.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Saturday reviewed the security situation in border Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir and also spent Dussehra festival with the troops at Siachen Glacier.
On the second day of her two-day visit to the state, she also inaugurated Pratham-Shyok Bridge that will link Leh to Karakoram, providing connectivity on the strategically important Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Olde axis for military transport.
"The Defence Minister interacted with the soldiers in the remote areas of Siachen Glacier and conveyed her best wishes on the auspicious occasion of Dussehra," a defence spokesman said in Srinagar.
Accompanied by Chief of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat, Northern Army Commander Lt Gen D Anbu and GoC 14 Corps Lt Gen S K Upadhyay, she complimented the army troopers saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the union government fully support the soldiers who are protecting the nation in all circumstances.
"I assure you that the government is with you all the time and in all circumstances. We are not only sensitive to your needs and demands but also to those of your families," the minister said addressing the troops.
The Defence Minister, who was on her maiden visit to the state, lauded the BRO and its men for working in difficult terrain and hostile circumstances.
Earlier on Friday, Sitharaman lauded the armed forces for “successful” anti-militancy operations and directed them to “keep up the good work” and also “win the trust of people.” She asked the forces to put in their best efforts to “keep the Kashmir’s young lot away from the gun.”
While chaired a high-level security review meeting at army’s 15 corps headquarters in Srinagar, she was briefed about the prevailing situation in J&K. “In the meeting, the northern army commander briefed the defence minister about the steps taken and the progress achieved on the anti-militancy front. She was told about the success rate of the ‘operation all-out’ launched in May this year,” the source said. “She was also briefed about the counter-infiltration operations carried out this year, so far.”
The defence minister, according to the source, also asked the army officers to win the hearts and minds of people of Kashmir especially youth so that they are kept away from gun.