India has retaliated promptly to attacks along lOC
On a day an Indian Army jawan was killed on the line of Control (lOC) in a firefight with militants trying to infiltrate into Akhnoor sector in Jammu, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said in Parliament on Tuesday that India has retaliated promptly and effectively to ceasefire violations by Pakistan.
Coming under fire by leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad in the Rajya Sabha for criticising the UPA Government as “weak” for ceasefire violations on the lOC during the lok Sabha election campaign and asked to spell out the NDA Government’s record, Jaitley said his Government will not allow “our heads
to bow.” Azad said Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his election speeches used to accuse the UPA Government as “weak” and said the present Government should explain why violations are still taking place and the Government has “bowed” to these acts.
He also sought to know the number of violations reported since the Modi Government came to power. Jaitley said he did not want to politicise such a sensitive issue related to security and said maximum number of ceasefire violations took place in 2013 and the figure stood at 347 including 199 at the lOC and remaining at the International Border.
Informing the house during the Question Hour that 19 incidents of violation had taken place till mid July from May 26 when the new Government took charge, Jaitley said the intensity of these violations was less. Moreover, the Army and para-military forces took effective retaliatory steps and the total number of violations since January this year stood at 56 including 47 at lOC and nine at International Border, he said.
Rebutting Azad, the Minister also said only one incident of ceasefire violation which was reported in 2004 when NDA handed over charge to UPA and since then number of violations increased and 2013 recorded the highest number. In reply to another question, Jaitley said along the lOC, the army has adopted a robust counter- infiltration strategy which has an appropriate mix of technology and human resources to check infiltration effectively.
“Innovative troops deployment, efficient use of surveillance and monitoring devices and fencing along the loC have enhanced the ability to detect and intercept infiltration,” he said.
