Modi shares photos of his visit to Kargil during war, Rajnath says Pak can’t fight full-fledged war with India
As India commemorated 20 years of Kargil war, Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Friday warned Pakistan against attempting another Kargil-like “misadventure”.
General Rawat was asked by a reporter at a Press conference to share his message for Pakistan on the 20th anniversary of India’s victory in the Kargil war.
Earlier on Thursday, while interacting with the mediapersons in Drass, the Army chief had said, “The enemy would never be allowed to succeed. No matter what heights they capture, we will always get back to them and this was evident during the Kargil war in 1999. They will not dare to repeat it.”
“Don’t do it. This was a misadventure. Misadventures are normally not repeated. You will get a bloodier nose next time,” the Army chief reacted firmly standing tall in the backdrop of a war memorial located at the foothills of the Tololing feature.
Meanwhile, speaking in the Lok Sabha on the occasion as Parliament paid tributes to Indian soldiers who drove out enemy forces and reclaimed Kargil heights, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the bravery and sacrifice of soldiers cannot be forgotten.
To commemorate the 20 years of the Kargil War, Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared pictures of his visit to the area during the conflict and his interaction with the soldiers. “During the Kargil War in 1999, I had the opportunity to go to Kargil and show solidarity with our brave soldiers,” he said on Twitter.
The Prime Minister said that in 1999, he was working for the BJP in Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. “The visit to Kargil and interactions with soldiers are unforgettable,” Modi said.
In the photographs, he is seen interacting with Army men and meeting wounded soldiers.
Meanwhile, bad weather prevented President Ram Nath Kovind from visiting the Drass war memorial to attend the ‘Kargil Diwas’.
He landed in Srinagar and participated in the Vijay Diwas function at Badami Bagh Cantonment.
In Drass, Navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh, Air Force chief BS Dhanoa both accompanied by Army chief General Bipin Rawat paid tributes wearing their respective forces’ combat fatigues.
GoC-in-C, Northern Command, Lt-Gen Ranbir Singh, Lt Gen YK Joshi, GOC Fire and Fury Corps, former Army Chief (Retd) Gen VP Malik too were present on the occasion.
A large number of retired Army officers, who took part in the Operation Vijay and led their men from the front, families of martyred soldiers and others attended the ceremony and paid tributes.
In his message, General Rawat said today is a day to pay homage to those who laid their lives, those who were wounded and to those who supported the units and formations involved in combat.
Commenting on Pakistan’s role, General Rawat suggested that Pakistan’s promises to act against militants and their networks couldn’t be trusted as it was only meant to secure international funding .
“There is a difference between talk and action. We all know the situation in Pakistan right now. We all know who controls the country. They are ready for anything to get money. Once they get it, they will do what they have been doing for the last so many years,” the Army chief said.
General Rawat also accused Pakistan of making “desperate attempt” to keep the Kashmir issue alive as it stood exposed sponsoring terror on Indian soil. “The world at large knows terrorists are trained in Pakistan and they have terror camps,” he stressed while adding that Islamabad supported ultras with money and weaponry to the terrorists.
He further accused Pakistan of influencing people from across the border to join hands with the local youth to up the ante of terrorism. The Army chief said through social media campaigns, the force has been reaching out to people in order to shun weapons and come to the mainstream.
Commenting on a number of locals joining ranks of terror in Kashmir Valley, the Army chief said, “See, anybody who picks up the gun against the Army... The gun and the man will be separated. The man will go to the grave and the gun will be with us. But this is not the end of everything. We are reaching out to the people to shun the gun and come overground,” Rawat said.
“We have opened a number of goodwill schools. Let me tell you one thing. Not one person from the school has joined terrorism and not one person has become a stone thrower. We are giving the right education that your future lies in educating yourself, finding a good job for yourself and looking after the family,” he added.
Rawat said that the Army will support any personnel who has an issue with the NRC. “If a person has served in the Army, he will surely be taken care of. We will assist him with all the required paperwork,” he further said.
On Modernisation of armed forces, the Army chief said, “Our focus is on Artillery weapon system, by 2020 we will get the Howitzers, K-9 Vajra is being manufactured in the country now and two Bofors like guns are also being manufactured locally. Simultaneously, we are inducting additional helicopters to expand our aviation fleet.”
General Rawat said once the Artillery weapon system is modernised then the Army will shift its focus on mechanised forces.
Referring to situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Army chief said the situation is under control, stressing that peace and tranquility prevail along the border area.
“When there is any scope of escalation, meetings are held so that the situation is not allowed to escalate. The situation is very much under control. Mechanisms are in place, so that escalation of situation does not happen,” Rawat said.