Parrikar says, “We don’t itch for a fight.” File photo

Panaji, November 26

Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday said India did not seek war, but would “gouge out eyes” of the enemy if provoked.”We don’t itch for a fight, but if someone looks at the country with evil eye, we will gouge his eyes out and put them back in his hand, we have that much power,” he said while addressing a rally in Aldona Assembly constituency in Goa.Goans can tell the world that they had sent a man to the Centre who had slapped the enemy across the face, he said.“There was no firing on the border for the last three days because if they (Pakistan) fire once, we fire twice at them. We are giving tit-for-tat response, and when they realised it, they approached us, seeking to stop it,” Parrikar said in an apparent referrence to the request by Pakistan for DGMO-level talks three days ago.Asserting that, Armed Forces were fully prepared, Parrikar said his mother had taught him that “even if you are going to hunt a rabbit, be prepared to kill a tiger”. — PTI

Five soldiers hurt in Manipur ambush

Imphal: Five Special Forces personnel of the Indian Army were injured in an ambush by militants in Chandel district of Manipur on Saturday. An IED blast was triggered during a combing operation followed by light arms fire by the militants. The incident occurred at Sajik Tampak in Chandel district, close to the Myanmar border. In 2015, 18 soldiers were killed in an ambush in Chandel, while in May six personnel of Assam Rifles died in the district. PTI

CAUGHT IN TRAP The complainant went with meet the accused with a CBI official, where they recorded the conversation in which the accused demanded `44,000 bribe for senior garrison engineer

PANCHKULA: The assistant garrison engineer, Western Command, RS Verma, who was arrested on Thursday red handed while accepting `25,000 as bribe at Chandimandir, was seeking bribe for his senior officer too. This fact has been revealed in the transcript of conversations recorded by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The transcript of RS Verma and the complainant was submitted before the court on Friday.Meanwhile, the CBI did not press for RS Verma’s police custody and the court sent him to Ambala jail.

The transcript revealed how bribe needed to be paid for getting completion certificates and how contractors are being threatened in the name of blacklisting.

Surender Sharma, a resident of Hisar, who is one of the partners in AR Construction Co, had not only complained against RS Verma but also against his senior BM Verma. He had alleged that both the garrison engineers were not clearing his 3 bills amounting to `10 lakh, `14 lakh and `2 lakh.

He had told CBI that for clearing bills, RS Verma was seeking `60,000 while for BM Verma he was asking 10% of a tender of `44 lakh, ie `44,000.

Sharma gave the complaint on November 23 and the same day he went with CBI’s recorder to meet RS Verma. After the conversation was recorded, the trap was laid on November 24 where he was arrested with `25,000 as bribe.

The CBI told the court that RS Verma directed Sharma to arrange as much as he could and hand over the same to him.

As per the recordings, BM Verma was not present in his office, so Sharma couldn’t go and meet him. The CBI told the court that verification of demand of bribe by BM Verma couldn’t be done on this account. The CBI also told the court that when Sharma asked RS Verma that whether he should call BM Verma on phone to verify his demand, he suggested him to meet him in person.

“Unfortunately, he couldn’t be trapped. My work at Chandimandir cantonment was related to fencing, tiling and other maintenance work,” Sharma told HT.

Western Command chief Lt Gen Surinder Singh calls on Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in Jammu on Thursday. Tribune Photo

Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 24

Lt Gen Surinder Singh, Army Commander, Western Command, called on Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti here today and briefed her about the latest situation on the border as a result of continuing cross-border shelling.The Chief Minister asked the Army Commander to extend all possible help to the civil administration in border areas for the rehabilitation and safety of people living there.The meeting between the two took place two days after three soldiers were killed in the Machil sector. India has since lodged a strong protest with Pakistan against the killing and mutilation of their soldiers and militarily responded to violations of the ceasefire.The Army launched a major fire assault along the LoC in Kashmir, causing “substantive damage” and disrupting Pakistani army’s movement in the Neelum Valley.

The Director of CSWT, Indore, IGP Pankaj, posing with the pistol of Shaheed Bhagat Singh. Photos: Jupinderjit Singh

Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Indore, November 22

Lying in oblivion for almost half a century as just another of the 294 relics at the Border Security Force’s Central School of Weapons and Tactics in this Madhya Pradesh town, Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s pistol is finally getting revered status here.Till recently, Assistant Commandant Vijendra Singh, who imparts briefings on the history of weapons to trainees, would talk about a US-made .32 Colt rimless and smokeless pistol as a small chapter in the growth of weapons from 1531 onwards.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)All that changed after a four-part series by The Tribune — based on the findings of an Indian historian in Lahore — and subsequent reportage on the possible whereabouts of the freedom fighter’s pistol.The weapon was used in the killing of British police officer JP Saunders in Lahore on December 17, 1928, and played a pivotal part in the Lahore conspiracy case that saw Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev being hanged and attaining legendary martyr status.Assistant Commandant Vijendra now devotes a lot of time talking about the weapon and its rich history while the trainees, including a group of DSPs on a refresher course, vie with each other to get photographed with it.“I am overcome with emotion as I hold the great martyr’s pistol in hand. I have held so many weapons in my long career but none like this one,” says IG Pankaj, who is the director of the BSF weapons’ school.“No one here had any idea that the pistol belonged to Shaheed Bhagat Singh,” he admits candidly.After The Tribune furnished details of the pistol to him to look for in the BSF records, a team found an entry in an old register but an obstacle came up next to locate the exact weapon. For preservation purposes as well as for better display, all weapons in the museum are painted black. The staff had to remove the paint to find the real one. “We removed the paint and to our great joy, the number 168896 came out clearly on the barrel with matching details.”Commandant HS Bedi and other officers of the BSF confide that the discovery of the pistol in their museum was news for them. “It is amazing. It was always here and no one knew it,” he says.Such is the craze that the museum is witnessing an unprecedented footfall. The weapon is now kept separately in a glass case on a pedestal. But the description about its importance is yet to be displayed alongside.“We are preparing a special place for displaying the pistol along with Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s portrait and documents at the new museum building that is under construction. We would prepare a gallery of the documents, including clippings of The Tribune that brought the weapon back from oblivion,” the IG says.In Chandigarh, publisher Harish Jain, who has penned several books on Shaheed Bhagat Singh, can’t hide his excitement. “No photograph of the pistol is available anywhere. This is the first time it would be in public domain.” Co-author and historian Malwinderjit Singh Waraich says it would be a dream come true for him to see the pistol.

Sartaj Aziz, Adviser to Pak PM

Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 16

The next round between India and Pakistan might play out in Amritsar in early December as indications suggest that Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan Prime Minister’s adviser on foreign affairs, is likely to travel to the city to attend an international conference.Amritsar will host ‘Heart of Asia Conference’ on December 3-4, which would provide an opportunity for India and Pakistan to resume dialogue that has remained suspended since the September Uri attacks. Speaking to a Pakistani TV channel, Aziz said his visit could be a “good opportunity” to “defuse tension”. Aziz said he was not yet aware if he would be meeting his Indian counterpart on the sidelines of the conference.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)India has not yet responded to the comments of Aziz and sources in the government here said for India, this would have to be a careful decision. If India decides to hold a meeting with Aziz, it could be construed that India had compromised on the tough position it had taken post-Uri, said sources.Since Uri, the government has tried to isolate Pakistan globally and its biggest success was the cancellation of the SAARC Summit in Islamabad. Led by India, SAARC member nations boycotted the summit citing that the atmosphere was not “conducive” for the event. 

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 13

Offices of the Defence Accounts Department (DAD), which is closely involved in all aspects of defence planning and functioning, have been cautioned against the leak of sensitive military information from its staff.The Directorate General of Military Intelligence (DGMI) had recently reported that sensitive information was shared by some of the DAD’s field officers with unauthorised persons, prompting the Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA) to issue a cautionary note to all its establishments.The DAD deals with all military matters having a financial bearing and is associated with scrutiny and vetting of all proposals pertaining to procurements and defence works, processing of payments as well as audit. DAD officers are also integrated with military formations and establishments at various levels to render financial advice to commanders and conduct local audit.Referring to DGMI’s reports, the CGDA’s notepoints out that local audit offices are vulnerable and can be targeted for information pertaining to movement of units and formations, names of commanders and other operational details.Moreover, information pertaining to weapons or equipment being procured, works being executed like building defence structures such as bunkers and bunds or revealing gaps through audit has a serious bearing on national security. The CGDA has cautioned that communication of sensitive information to unauthorised persons would attract disciplinary action.

Members of the Personnel Below Officers Rank(PBOR) Purva Sainik Welfare Association protest outside the District Magistrate’s office in Dehradun on Friday. Tribune photo: Abhyudaya Kotnala

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 4

Members of the Personnel Below Officers Rank(PBOR) Purva Sainik Welfare Association held a demonstration at the District Magistrate’s office here today, demanding better pension and other perks. The protesters said they would intensify their agitation if the Central government did not accede to their demands.The retired defence personnel led by PBOR Purva Sainik Welfare Association state president Shemsher Singh Bisht gathered at the District Magistrate’s office and raised slogans against the government. They said they had given a memorandum to officials concerned but nothing had come out.They demanded full pensionary benefits to retired honorary captain, honorary lieutenant and honorary subedar major. They demanded that honorary captain and honorary lieutenant should be treated as commissioned officers. They also demanded that retired honorary captain, lieutenant and subedar major should be appointed in the state Soldiers’ Welfare Board.RD Shahi, UD Joshi, Ramesh Rawat and Surendra Singh Bisht took part in the protest.

Sat Singh

Tribune News Service

Bamla (Bhiwani), November 3

The body of ex-serviceman Ram Kishan Grewal, who committed suicide on November 1 over the “delay” in  implementation of the One Rank, One Pension (OROP) scheme, was brought to his hometown early this morning after a postmortem at Lady Hardinge Hospital, Delhi. “I don’t know why the Delhi Police kept me and my two brothers in detention for the whole day yesterday,” said a crestfallen Dilawar Singh, Grewal’s eldest son. He said they were let off after being told the family would be paid a compensation of Rs 10 lakh and one member given a government job. Jaswant Singh, angry with Union Minister VK Singh for calling his father “mentally unstable”, said: “My father served the forces for 30 years. Post-retirement, he was elected sarpanch. But the minister thinks he was unstable.”Senior state Congress leaders thronged the deceased’s house. Among them were former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, CLP leader Kiran Choudhry, AICC secretary Randeep Surjewala, Ashok Tanwar, Deepender Hooda, Kumari Selja, Kuldeep Bishnoi, Shruti Choudhry and Subhash Batra. They were all there much before AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi.The leaders gathered around the body in the courtyard, leaving little room for the mourners. Women were heard pleading that they be allowed to pay their last respects, but to no avail. There was utter chaos as the police jostled with the crowds to make way for Rahul.Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal reached at noon and headed straight for the cremation ground. He later met the bereaved family and announced Rs 1-crore aid. He said his government had decided to declare Grewal a martyr. To a query if the parties were needlessly politicising the issue, he said he was doing so for the welfare of the defence veterans “while Prime Minister Narendra Modi does it to snatch their rights”. TMC’s Derek O’Brien, Bhiwani MP Dharambir (BJP) and INLD’s Dadri MLA Rajdeep Phogat also paid their respects. 

Not a martyr, says Haryana Chief Minister

• Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday said that “only those who lay down their lives while fighting the enemy on the borders are called martyrs, not the ones who commit suicide”. He said no soldier would ever commit suicide. TNS