Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Saturday said that Pakistan was using terror to keep the pot boiling in Jammu and Kashmir since it was well aware they could never succeed and accused it of trying to stall development in the conflict stricken region.
He also warned that India was strong enough to counter Pakistan’s ‘evil designs’ and capable of carrying out different operations.
“Pakistan is fully aware they can never succeed, terror is another way by them to keep the pot boiling. They want to stall development in Kashmir but Indian state is strong enough to counter everything, and we are fully capable of carrying out different operations,” ANI quoted the Army chief as having said.
Rawat made the remarks after paying tribute at the Amar Jawan Jyoti in Delhi to mark Infantry Day.
In September, Rawat had stressed on the need for ‘another surgical strike’ on ‘terror launch pads’ across the Line of Control twice. He had also emphasised the need to “avenge the barbaric acts carried out by the Pakistani Army and terrorists against Indian soldiers”, saying it was time to “give it back in the same coin”.
Speaking on the death of a 22-year-old army man following a head injury in an incident of stone-pelting in Anantnag district of South Kashmir, Rawat said there were some people who ask for stone-pelters not to be treated as over ground workers of terrorists.
“The jawan who lost his life after being attacked by stone pelters was guarding a border roads team which was constructing roads, and then we have some people saying don’t treat stone pelters like OGWs(over ground workers) of terrorists,” he said.
Meanwhile, a complete shutdown is being observed in Kashmir today, October 27, against the landing of Indian army in the valley on the same day in 1947.
All the business establishments, markets, schools, colleges, and transport across the valley are closed. The Joint Resistance Leadership had called for a complete strike to mark the “black day” in the history of Kashmir.
