Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said India will completely seal the border with Pakistan by December, 2018 by using all effective means, including technological solutions. Speaking to the media after reviewing the security situation with Chief Ministers and Home Ministers of four States bordering Pakistan, Rajnath said the Government was planning of setting up a border security grid and has invited suggestions from all the concerned stakeholders, including the States, which share Border with Pakistan.
“It is a new concept. We will be framing guidelines after getting suggestions from all stakeholders,” said Rajnath. The Home Minister said that the Government was determined to completely seal the borders with Pakistan by December 2018 and added “this project will be periodically monitored by the Home Secretary at the Central level, BSF from the security forces perspective and Chief Secretaries at the State level.”
He said under the action plan of sealing the border, technology will also be used. “like we have riverine and Sir Creek area in Gujarat, there we will make maximum use of technology for effective sealing of border.
Rajnath chaired the meeting attended by Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab Sukhbir Singh Badal, Gujarat and Rajasthan’s Home Ministers Pradeepsinh Jadeja and Gulab Chand Kataria respectively and Jammu & Kashmir Chief Secretary Brij Raj Sharma.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and BSF chief KK Sharma were present at the meeting, which reviewed security arrangements on the border in the wake of tension between India and Pakistan after surgical strikes by Army on terror camps across the line of Control in Jammu & Kashmir.
Rajnath avoided in replying to volley of questions regarding the ongoing political slugfest on surgical strikes.
“I do not wish to comment on that but when there is a big challenge before the nation, we should stand by our forces. At a time when tension between India and Pakistan is increasing, countrymen should trust the security and armed forces and stand by them,” he said.
“People from all walks must exercise restraint. The country should support the forces,” he said to questions on his observations on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s controversial speech on Thursday.