New Delhi: The Indian Army has limited Pakistan’s mischief to just the border, “giving a befitting reply to their misadventures”, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
“Now Indian Army has restricted Pakistani mischief to the border. No praise is enough for the actions taken by the Army, BSF and other security forces in containing (Pakistan sponsored terrorist activities),” he said while replying during the Question Hour.
The minister stressed that there was no question of any lethargy while dealing with ceasefire violations by the neighbouring country.
Asked why the government was “lethargic” and not taking stern action to stop the ceasefire violations, Singh said, “There is no question of lethargy. I want to make it clear that our Army has taken effective steps. They have done so earlier also and I am not saying the Army is taking action after our government came to power.”
The minister also said it would not be appropriate to go into details about the steps being taken and weapons used to deal with ceasefire violations.
“But I would like to say this much that Pakistan violates ceasefire to infiltrate terrorists into Indian borders and also to bring them back. They keep trying this,” Singh said.
“You should have faith that our Army is taking effective steps at borders and responding to ceasefire violations,” he said, and added only Pakistan knows about the actions being taken against them by Indian security forces.
‘46 security personnel killed in ceasefire violations by Pakistan in 2020’
Pakistan resorted to 5,133 incidents of ceasefire violations last year in which 46 security force personnel were killed, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday, referring to Pakistani hostilities along the Line of Control and International Border in Jammu and Kashmir.
In replying to a question in Rajya Sabha, the defence minister said “appropriate retaliation” to the ceasefire violations, as required, has been carried out by the security forces.
“In addition, all violations of ceasefire are taken up with Pakistan authorities at the appropriate level through the established mechanism of hotlines, flag meeting as well as weekly talks between the director generals of military operations of the two countries,” Singh said.
“Diplomatically, India has repeatedly emphasised at the highest level, the need for Pakistan to uphold the sanctity of the Line of Control and the International Border as its obligations emanating from the understanding in vogue,” he said.
The defence minister said 299 incidents of ceasefire violations were reported till January 28 this year.
According to official data, the number of ceasefire violations by Pakistan in 2019 was 3,233.
Notwithstanding the coronavirus pandemic in the region, Pakistan has been resorting to “unprovoked ceasefire violations” along the LoC and making concerted efforts to push militants into Kashmir.
