Srinagar: After a member of Indian National Congress (INC) said that Indian army chief, General Rawat, shouldn’t make statements like a ‘Sadak ka Gunda’ (a road-side goon), right wing Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) on Monday termed anything a “sin” which would “lower morale of Indian armed forces”.
Minister of State (MoS) in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Dr Jitendra Singh, today criticised the Congress member Sandeep Dikshit’s “derogatory”statement.
“It is a sin to say or do anything which directly or indirectly tends to denigrate and lower the morale of Indian Army,” Singh said.
Inviting a huge backlash from various quarters, the Congress leader yesterday said General Rawat shouldn’t make statements like a ‘ Sadak ka Gunda’ (a road-side goon).
Dikshit had said, “it feels our army chief speaks like a roadside thug. While this is expected from Pakistan who are like the mafia, why does our own chief make such pronouncements?”
However, Dikshit later on withdrew his statement and tendered apology for using uncivilized language.
Further commenting on indiscriminate firing and ceasefire violations allegedly by the Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Minister said that the Indian Army is “giving befitting reply to the attacks”.
“Pakistan is up to mischief for quite some time, but I think what is extremely reassuring is the fact that the people in the border areas have a high morale and have been testimony to the fact that the kind of retaliatory action that they are witnessing by the Indian side had not been witnessed for years. For each violation befitting reply is also being given. This is something we should feel proud as far as our Army and Paramilitary forces are concerned,” Singh added.
Earlier in the day, Defence Ministry spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Manish Mehta, said, “Pakistan has violated ceasefire for the ninth time since June 1.”
“Today morning, Pakistan violated the ceasefire violation at two places in KG (Krishna Ghati) Sector and also in the Naushera Sector and a befitting reply has been given by the Indian Army. Since the first of June this is the ninth ceasefire violation done by the Pakistan Army. .our troops are hitting them hard and it will hit them hardest,” he said.
However, the Pakistan army claimed that two civilians were killed due to firing by the Indian forces stationed along LoC.
