Jammu/New DelhiThe State Government on Monday said that dialogue and reconciliation was the only way to restore peace along the borders in Jammu and Kashmir and in the mainland even as Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said he has full faith in the valour of the Indian Army and they shall “give proper reply” to the neighbour.
Our stand is that dialogue and reconciliation is the only way to restore peace, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Abdul Rehman Veeri told the House while responding to the concern expressed by the Legislators over the loss of lives and damage to the property due to recurrent incidents of cross-border firing in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri and other parts of the State.
Veeri said the process of reconciliation initiated by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vaypayee in 2003 needs be taken forward for everlasting peace in the State.
Referring to the latest incidents of cross-border firing in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri, the Minister said that the respective district administrations are taking all possible measures to avoid loss of life and property. He said alternate arrangements for boarding and lodging have also been put in place for the affected population.
Giving details of the latest incidents of cross-border firing, the Minister said that four Army personnel including an officer were killed while two civilians and three soldiers including a BSF Personal were injured in fresh ceasefire violation along LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts on Sunday.
The Minister said that in Rajouri at about 2130 hours on Sunday, Pakistan Army started indiscriminate firing in Balakote Sector resulting in the killing of 04 Army personnel namely, Captain Kapil Kundu of Ransika, Gurgaon, Rifleman Ram Avtar of Baraka, Gawalior, Rifleman Subham Singh of Mukandpur, Kathua and Hawaldar Roshan Lal of Samba died on the spot, while one Army Jawan namely Lans Naik Iqbal Ahmed sustained injuries.
He said in another ceasefire violation in Bandi Chacian Sector one Army Jawan namely Sepoy Kishore Kumar and two civilians including a minor namely Yaseen Arif and a girl namely Gulnaz Akhter sustained injuries.
Veeri further informed that ceasefire violation was also reported from Sunderbani where one BSF soldier namely ASI Ajab Singh sustained injuries. He was immediately shifted to Army Hospital, Satwari for treatment. He said firing was also reported from Bhawani and Lam sector but no loss of life was reported.
Rajnath Singh condemned the cross-border firing by Pakistan, saying he has full faith in the valour of the Indian Army and they shall “give proper reply” to the neighbour.
“Have full faith in the valour of our soldiers, and they shall give proper reply,” Rajnath Singh told reporters.
Earlier, Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir also condemned Sunday’s ceasefire violation, saying that it shall “cost Pakistan dearly”.
“Pakistan has been violating ceasefire along the LoC. And this year the number of ceasefire violations are high,” Ahir said.
“Yesterday (Sunday) also, they again violated ceasefire.
We will not forgive Pakistan’s actions,” the Minister said.
“The ceasefire violations would prove to be Pakistan’s foolishness and will cost them dearly,” he added.
The Army also clearly indicated it would take retaliatory action against the killing of four soldiers. Vice chief Lt Gen Sarath Chand saying the Army has been responding appropriately to Pakistan shelling, asserting that India will continue to give a “befitting reply” to such acts.
“That (retaliation) goes without saying, I think I don’t have to say that. (Our) action will speak for itself,” he said when asked about the killing of a Captain and three other Army men in the Rajouri sector.
“There has been cross-border shelling from their (Pakistan’s) side. And one of the shells landed near the officer and his men, leading to the casualties,” he said when asked about yesterday’s shelling.
Captain Kapil Kundu, a resident of village Ransika in Haryana’s Gurgaon district, was killed just six days before his 22nd birthday, Army officials said.
Havildar Roshan Lal, 42, a resident of Samba district, Jammu and Kashmir, Riflemen Ramavatar, 27, of Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, and Subham Singh, 23, of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district were also killed in the shelling.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh said earlier today Indians had full faith in the valour of the Army.
“People of the country have full faith in the valour of the Indian Army,” the minister told reporters outside Parliament when asked about the steps India would take in response to the attack.
House Adjourned For 10 Minutes Amid Ruckus
The State Legislative Assembly was adjourned on Monday after opposition legislators created ruckus over continuing ceasefire violations by Pakistan.
The National Conference (NC) and Congress members stormed towards the Speaker’s podium alleging that the PDP-BJP government has failed to protect the lives and properties of those living along the international border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC).
They also said that the coalition partners lacked unanimity on the issue as the Bharatiya Janata Party has been emphasising on construction of bunkers for the border people, while Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s Peoples Democratic Party was advocating improvement in the India-Pakistan relations
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