NEW DELHI, Oct 6: Defence Minister Arun Jaitley today deplored the ceasefire violations by Pakistan and said the Indian armed forces were “fully ready” and are responding to each of these provations from across the border.
He told Pakistan that it should realise that the kind of environment it was generating between the two countries was certainly not going to help in normalising relations.
Reacting to the continuous ceasefire violations, the Minister said Pakistan has been trying to create tension in both the International Border and Line of Control (LoC).
“This is resulting in a series of ceasefire violations as a result of which innocent civilians have lost their lives. Pakistan must realise that the kind of environment it is generating between the two countries is certainly not going to help in normalising relations. The onus of creating a positive environment is on Pakistan which is utterly failing to do so.
“Let everybody be assured that our armed forces and para-military forces are fully ready and they are responding to each of these provacations from Pakistan,” Jaitley said.
The Government has given instructions to the Army to reply to ceasefire violations by Pakistan at the border, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said in Bhopal.
“The Army has been instructed to reply to the ceasefire violations and it is acting on the issue,” Prasad told reporters here on the issue of ceasefire violations.
The Union Minister for Law and Justice, Communications and IT was speaking at the airport, before leaving for Jabalpur along with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to lay the foundation stone for Electronic Manufacturing Cluster and IT Park.
India today asked Pakistan to stop ceasefire violations after heavy shelling and firing from across the border left five villagers dead and 35 injured.
“Pakistan should stop ceasefire violations now and understand the reality that times have changed in India,” Home Minister Rajnath Singh said.
He said the Centre is monitoring the situation and Jammu and Kashmir Government is taking steps to provide relief to the residents of border areas affected by Pakistani firing.
Congress said the ceasefire violations by Pakistan were a “serious issue” and it should desist from such activities.
“Whatever Pakistan is doing is certainly a serious matter. And we want to tell Pakistan that indulging in such activities is not good for that country,” Congress leader Rashid Alvi said.
Condemning Pakistan’s actions, former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said it is despicable that such incidents have occurred on Eid. “There cannot be anything worse than this,” the Congress leader said.
Meanwhile, BJP chief Amit Shah said that Indian forces have been giving a fitting reply to such acts by the neighbouring country ever since the NDA Government came to power.
“There was firing at the border earlier as well. But there is a difference; earlier, Pakistan started the firing and ended it too from across the border, (but) under the BJP Government now, Pakistan starts the firing but Indian forces silence it. They are being given a fitting reply,” Shah told a rally in Pune.
Targeting those criticising the new Government, Shah said, “They cannot see this and so do not know what is the difference in security at the border. They cannot see the change in foreign policy. How the pride of the nation has improved across the world.” (PTI)
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