Rajnath Singh reviews security situation along the border during his visit to forward areas of J&K
India Today
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday visited the forward areas of Jammu & Kashmir and took stock of the security situation along the border.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday visited the forward areas of Jammu & Kashmir and took stock of the security situation along the border.
The Defence Minister is on a two-day visit to the Union Territory. He undertook a first-hand assessment of the situation in the formations looking after Line of Control (LoC) and forward areas in North Kashmir.
He was accompanied by Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande; General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GoC-in-C), Northern Command Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi; GoC, 15 Corps Lt Gen AS Aujla and GoC, 19 Infantry Division Maj Gen Ajay Chandpuria.
Rajnath Singh was briefed on the existing ceasefire agreement on the LoC, development works on field fortifications, counter infiltration grid, operational preparedness and Army-citizen connect in border areas.Upon his arrival at the 15 Corps HQs, Rajnath Singh was briefed by the GOC 15 Corps on the overall security situation prevalent on Line of Control and the hinterland. He was also briefed on the measures instituted for the safety and security of Amarnath Yatra.
The Defence Minister interacted with the personnel of the Armed Forces, Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and J&K Police.Addressing the security personnel, he commended them for fulfilling their responsibilities efficiently even in challenging situations, describing their valour and zeal as remarkable. He praised the excellent synergy exhibited by all sections of civil administration, J&K Police, Central Armed Police Forces and other security agencies in projecting a ‘Whole of Government’ approach that has resulted in the improvement of the security situation which is conducive for fostering a new era of development in the UT.The Defence Minister lauded the security personnel for serving the country with indomitable courage and dedication and instilling a sense of national pride in the people, especially the youth.
“Our neighbour has always resorted to anti-India activities. The state also witnessed terror activities in the past. Due to the relentless efforts of the personnel of Armed Forces, BSF, CRPF and J&K Police, there has been a significant decline in the number of terror activities in the state recently. Pakistan continuously tries to disturb peace in the country through its approach of bleeding India with a thousand cuts. But, our security forces are such a protective shield for this country that whoever tries to break it, bleeds himself. The nation has immense faith in our forces who are always ready to deal with any situation,” Rajnath Singh said.
Reiterating that India is a peace-loving country which has given the message of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the whole world is one family) to the world, Rajnath Singh asserted that “We have never tried to hurt any country in any way, nor have we tried to capture even an inch of anyone’s land."
