NEW DELHI : Home Minister Rajnath Singh today took strong exception to the ceasefire violations by Pakistan and asked the neighbouring nation to realise ‘the changed ground realities in India’ and stop immediately recurrence of such action.
Talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of a function here, Mr Singh reacted sharply to the incidents of firing by the Pakistan security personnel along the border/LoC in Jammu and Kashmir that had left five people dead and more than two dozen injured. He said Pakistan should realise ‘changed situation in India’.
“Pakistan should realise that the situation in India has changed now,” the Home Minister said, hinting that the Modi government could not afford to take these incidents lightly. “Thus, I expect that they should stop these immediately,” Mr Singh said.
“I have spoken to BSF Director General D K Pathak to get first hand information about the situation in Arina area along the International Border in Jammu region,” Mr Singh said.
“Mr Pathak has been instructed to rush to the border areas of that state where incidents of ceasefire violations have been reported,” he added.
Although the Home Minister demonstrated ‘firmness’, in his reaction to instances of firing from across the border, hot and cold phases in verbal exchanges between the leaders of two neighbouringn nations have continued amid ‘intermittent ceasefire violations along the border, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir sector, since the installation of the new Modi Government in New Delhi.
The new BJP government in its bid to signal a strong message to its counterparts across the LoC had even put off the scheduled Foreign Secretary level talks in August earlier this year in protest against the Pakistan High Commissioner’s move of holding talks with some separatist Kashmiri leaders.
But soon the government had showed signs of softening of its stance with leaders like the Home Minister, his cabinet colleague and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj sending positive signals for reopening of process of dialogue.
Then over frequent ceasefire violations, the Home Minister had again taken a hard stance asking authorities to respond in a befitting manner to the ‘misadventures’ by the neighbour. However, violation of ceasefire continued intermittently. (AGENCIES)
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