Army will abide by govt. peace plan, says Nirmala Sitharaman
NEW DELHI, June 06, 2018 00:47 IST
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. File
But no unprovoked attacks will go without response, says Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
The decision to suspend military operations in Jammu and Kashmir during the month of Ramzan was a government decision and would be respected by all, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday.
“It was the Government of India’s decision, and we all abide by it,” she said when asked whether the Army was consulted before the decision was taken. The Home Ministry had announced the suspension of operations against militants during Ramzan, starting May 17. The Minister was speaking to journalists on the NDA government completing four years in office.
However, Ms. Sitharaman said while the Defence Ministry respected the announcement made by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, there was room for retaliation, if attacked. “It is our duty to keep our borders safe. We shall be alert and ensure that no unprovoked attacks go without our responding. It is the duty of the Defence Ministry and the forces to keep India safe,” she said.
However, there has been a sharp rise in ceasefire violations along the Line of Control. Last week, the Directors-General of Military Operations of India and Pakistan agreed to implement the 2003 ceasefire agreement in “letter and spirit.” Yet, there were violations over the weekend.