Reviews security situation along LoC, meets families of civilians found dead in Poonch

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, December 27

Days after the killing of four soldiers in a terrorist ambush in Poonch and subsequent death of three civilians allegedly in Army custody, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today said it was the responsibility of the troops to win the hearts of the people while performing their duty towards the security of the nation.

Rajnath, who was on a one-day visit to Jammu and Rajouri to review the security situation, urged the soldiers to not make any such “mistakes” that might hurt the citizens of the country.

“You are the guardians of the country. Apart from the responsibility towards the security of the country, winning the hearts of citizens is also a big responsibility on your shoulders. You are making efforts in this direction as well, but sometimes there does happen a mistake. Such mistakes, that may hurt any citizen of the country, should not happen,” Rajnath told troops during an interaction in Rajouri. The minister met the families of the deceased civilians and also visited Government Medical College to enquire about the health of four other “torture” victims.

Fight terror, but win hearts

It is your responsibility to win hearts of people while keeping the nation safe… But sometimes such mistakes do take place, which should not happen. —Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister

He was accompanied by Army Chief General Manoj Pande and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi.

He took stock of the security situation along the Line of Control (LoC) and carried out a first-hand assessment of the prevailing situation as well as counter-terror operations in Rajouri and Poonch.

He was briefed by Army commanders on the prevalent security situation, counter-infiltration grid and operational preparedness. The aspects associated with the operating challenges were discussed by the minister with the commanders. He called for professional conduct and due diligence while carrying out operations.

Interacting with the soldiers, the minister asked them to be actively connected with the people and gain their trust.

“The Indian Army is not an ordinary army. We have to win battles, eliminate terrorists, but the bigger objective is to win the hearts of people,” he said, while exhorting the troops to remain extra vigilant so that no untoward incident occurred in future.

He described the recent incidents in the sector as “unfortunate” and asked all ranks to undertake operations based on hard intelligence in accordance with established procedures aided by niche technology. Rajnath assured the troops that the government stood with them and the nation “will forever be indebted to the unparalleled valour and sacrifice of the soldiers”.

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