JAMMU, Dec 27: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said that “ India will win any type of war and will finish off terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. He said that he has full faith in the Indian Army.”
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, accompanied by J&K LG Manoj Sinha, Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pande and Northern Command Chief Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi visited the border district of Rajouri where he addressed the Army jawans, met kin of three civilians who were killed under mysterious circumstances a day after Dera Ki Gali encounter in which four Army jawans lost their lives and three others were injured, visited injured civilians in Government Medical College (GMC) Rajouri and later presided over a high-level review of security situation at the Raj Bhawan Jammu before flying back to New Delhi.
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19 soldiers have been martyred in four ambush/encounters with terrorists in Rajouri and Poonch districts this year.
Defence Minister said that “ the Government treasury is open for beefing up security arrangements and intelligence gathering.”
The Defence Minister flew to Rajouri district soon after his arrival in Jammu to review the security situation, especially in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch where terror attacks and infiltration attempts from across the Line of Control (LoC) have witnessed a spike this year.
Addressing the Army Jawans at a Military Garrison in Rajouri, the Defence Minister said “I believe in your bravery and steadfastness. Terrorism should be finished from Jammu and Kashmir and you need to move forward with this commitment. I have full faith that you will achieve victory,”
“Army keep the country safe, but sometimes such mistakes do take place, which should not happen.
“You are the guardians of the country. Apart from the responsibility towards security of the country, winning the hearts of the citizens is also a big responsibility on your shoulders. You are making efforts in this direction as well, but sometimes there does happen a mistake (chook). Such mistakes, that may hurt any citizen of the country, should not happen,” Defence Minister told Army jawans during an interaction with them in Rajouri.
He said that “ the Indian Army is not considered to be an ordinary Army in the world now.
“The people believe that the Indian Army has become more powerful than it was in the past. It has become well-equipped compared to the past. The security of the country is in your hands,” the Defence Minister told the jawans.
“Such incidents (ambush) cannot be taken for granted. I want to assure you that the Government stands with you and your welfare is our top priority,” Rajnath Singh said.
Defence Minister paid his tribute to the fallen soldiers and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured personnel.
“I want to assure you that given the seriousness of the incident, required and appropriate steps would be taken. For us, every soldier is a part of the family and his life is very precious … any one eyeing our soldiers is not acceptable to us,” he said.
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READ: There should be no lapse which hurts a countryman: Rajnath Singh in J&K.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is visiting Jammu and Kashmir days after terrorists carried out an ambush on two army vehicles that left four army jawans dead.…— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) December 27, 2023
“The sacrifice of the soldiers is unparalleled and cannot be compensated with money. The void can never be fulfilled,” he added.
Meanwhile, 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 Army vehicles in Poonch district.
Defence Minister met the families of the deceased and also visited the Government Medical College (GMC) Rajouri to enquire about the health of four other “torture” victims.
District Development Council (DDC) members, former legislators and civil society members were also present at the meeting between the Defence Minister, Lieutenant Governor and the families of the deceased civilians.
“Please have faith in us. Nobody can bring back the life of those who have died. But there will be justice,” Singh told five members of three families of the deceased.
He further said that they are all pained at the loss of lives in Poonch. “We all – I, LG Sahib and Prime Minister Ji – are pained,” he told the kin.
“Whatever has happened…There will be justice,” the Defence Minister told reporters.
GMC Rajouri Principal Dr Amarjit Singh Bhatia briefed the Defence Minister on condition of the injured saying they were being provided best possible Medicare and are responding to the treatment.
Rajnath Singh also visited the border areas and reviewed the security situation along the Line of Control (LoC), officials said.
Defence Minister carried out a firsthand assessment of the ongoing counter-terror operations in Rajouri and Poonch districts, they said.
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On his return from Rajouri, Rajnath Singh visited Raj Bhawan and held a closed door security review meeting, the officials said.
They said the Defence Minister was briefed on the prevalent security situation, counter-infiltration grid and operational preparedness. The aspects associated with the operating challenges were discussed by Rajnath Singh with the Commanders on the ground.
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