NEW DELHI, Sept 21:
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said Government is “serious” about punishing those responsible for the deadly Uri attack as it will “not sleep over” terror being pushed into India from across the border.
He also dismissed reports about Pakistan’s threat of use of tactical nukes, saying that “empty vessel makes bigger noise” and asserted that steps will be taken to ensure that incidents like Uri strike are not repeated.
“We take proper reading of everything and I don’t think Prime Minister’s initial words that ‘those responsible will be punished’, will go as a mere statement. How to punish, that is for us to work out. We are quite serious about it,” Parrikar said.
He was responding to questions about what India’s response to the attack will be.
To a question on reports about Pakistan’s threat of use of tactical nuclear weapons, Parrikar said the person who has strength, usually makes less noise.
“Empty vessel makes bigger noise. This country is a very responsible power, but that does not mean I will sleep over this kind of terrorism that is being pushed from across. How do I do it is entirely for the Government under the Prime Minister, to decide,” he said.
Parrikar said, “Obviously something must have been wrong. I will not go into detail of it. Obviously it is a very sensitive matter.
“When something goes wrong, while you try to correct it, you should also ensure that it does not happen again. We will definitely find out what went wrong and also take steps to ensure it does not go wrong again. Country needs to ensure that repetition of wrong does not repeat again and again,” he said.
Parrikar’s remarks came on a day when Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag met National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
Meanwhile, India today told Pakistan that it has seized evidence showing involvement of Pak-based terrorists in the Uri attack and demanded that it refrain from supporting and sponsoring terrorism directed against this country.
Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit and told him that latest terrorist attack in Uri only underlines that the infrastructure of terrorism in Pakistan remains active.
Jaishankar also told Basit about the content of GPS recovered from the bodies of terrorists with coordinates that indicate the point and time of infiltration across the LoC and the subsequent route to the terror attack site and grenades with Pakistani markings as evidence of Pakistan’s role in Uri attack in which 18 jawans were killed.
“If the Government of Pakistan wishes to investigate these cross-border attacks, India is ready to provide fingerprints and DNA samples of terrorists killed in the Uri and Poonch incidents,” he told the Pakistan envoy.
Asserting that the latest terrorist attack in Uri only underlines that the infrastructure of terrorism in Pakistan remains active, Jaishankar demanded that Pakistan lives up to its public commitment to refrain from supporting and sponsoring terrorism against India.
He also reminded Basit that the Pakistan Government had made a solemn commitment in January 2004 to not allow its soil or territory under its control to be used for terrorism against India. “The persistent and growing violation of this undertaking is a matter of very serious concern,” he told Basit.
In a release, External Affairs Ministry said this year, beginning with the Pathankot airbase attack, there have been continuous attempts by armed terrorists to cross the LoC and International Boundary in order to carry out attacks in India.
“Seventeen such attempts have been interdicted at or around the LoC, resulting in the elimination of thirty one terrorists and preventing their intended acts of terrorism. Foreign Secretary also reminded him that even as he spoke two engagements at the LoC were ongoing,” it said.
Apart from GPS content, India has recovered a number of items that included communication matrix sheets and equipment, other made in Pakistan stuff like food, medicines and clothes which were conveyed to Basit.
“We now expect a response from the Government of Pakistan,” Jaishankar told him.
Basit’s summoning came a day after Jaishankar headed a high-level meeting, attended by senior Home Ministry officials and Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), during which the evidence recovered by Indian Army from the terrorists was shared with the MEA.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Rajnath Singh was today briefed on the ground situation in Jammu and Kashmir by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, who visited the troubled state in the wake of the Uri terror attack.
Mehrishi conveyed to the Home Minister his assessment on the prevailing situation in the Valley as well as border areas after his interaction with Governor N N Vohra, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and civil, police and intelligence officials.
The Union Home Secretary visited Srinagar yesterday after the terror attack in Uri in which 18 soldiers were killed.
The Home Minister was also apprised about the steps taken to check infiltration along LoC and International Border with Pakistan, official sources said. (PTI)
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