Army can crush terror, must avoid mistakes that hurt law-abiding citizens: Rajnath Singh
Rajanth Singh's statement comes in the wake of the public outrage over the death of three civilians in Poonch district on December 22 after they were taken by security forces for questioning
Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said he was confident the Indian Army will crush terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir but he urged the troops to avoid "mistakes" that hurt law-abiding citizens.
It is the responsibility of the soldiers to win the hearts of the people, said the defence minister, who arrived in Jammu and Kashmir earlier in the day to review the security situation.
Singh visited Rajouri and Jammu following a terrorist ambush in Poonch on two army vehicles that killed four soldiers on December 21.
The minister's statement follows the outrage over the death of three civilians found dead in Poonch district on December 22, allegedly after they were picked up by security forces for questioning.
The minister, accompanied by Army chief General Manoj Pande and Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, flew to Rajouri from Jammu to review the security situation.
Both the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch have this year witnessed a spike in terror attacks and infiltration attempts from across the Line of Control (LoC).
Rajnath on soldiers
Addressing the troops at a garrison in Rajouri, the minister lauded the troops.
"I believe in your bravery and steadfastness … Terrorism should be finished from Jammu and Kashmir and you need to move forward with this commitment. I have full faith that you will achieve victory," he said.
Three civilians, aged between 27 and 42, were taken for questioning by the army for questioning following the attack. They were found dead the next day.
Soon, video clips purportedly of the torture of the detained civilians went viral on the social media.
"Such incidents (ambush) cannot be taken for granted. I know you are alert to the situation but feel more alertness is required,” Singh said, adding that the "government stands with the military".
In a reference to the killing of the civilians, the minister told the troops to avoid "mistakes that hurt the citizens of the country".
Winning hearts
"You are the guardians of the nation. But besides protecting the country, you need to win the hearts of the citizens. It is a big responsibility on your shoulders," he said. "It can be achieved by meeting the people, listening to their problems and raising those issues at appropriate level for redressal,” he added.
Singh paid his tributes to the fallen soldiers. "Given the seriousness of the incident, required and appropriate steps would be taken. For us, every soldier is a part of the family and his life is very precious,” he said.
(With agency inputs)