Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said the army alongside protecting the country must also win the hearts of Indian citizens. He urged troops to not make any such “mistakes that may hurt the citizens of the country”.
“The Indian Army is not considered an ordinary force in the world. The people accept that the army is much more powerful than ever and also well-equipped compared to the past. You are the guardians of the nation but alongside protecting the country, you need to win the hearts of the citizens. It is a big responsibility on your shoulders,” he told troops at a military garrison in Rajouri as he arrived in Jammu and Kashmir earlier in the day to review the security situation following a terrorist ambush in Poonch that had left four soldiers dead on December 21.
Singh said he has full faith in the Indian Army that it will wipe out terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir, but it is the responsibility of the troops to win the hearts of the people while performing their duty towards the security of the nation.
His statement comes amid the outrage that sparked in the wake of three civilians being found dead in Poonch district on December 22. Safeer Hussain (43), Mohd Showket (27) and Shabir Ahmad (32) were allegedly picked up by the army for questioning following the ambush. Video clips purportedly showing torture of the detained civilians went viral on social media.
Four others — Mohd Zulfkar, his brother Mohd Betab, Fazal Hussain and Mohd Farooq — were admitted at the GMC hospital in Rajouri last Friday after they were allegedly beaten up by the troops in Thanamandi area during the anti-terrorist operation.
The defence minister was accompanied by army chief General Manoj Pande and Lt Governor Manoj Sinha. He flew to Rajouri district soon after his arrival in Jammu to review the security situation, especially in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch where terror attacks and infiltration attempts from across the Line of Control (LoC) have witnessed a spike this year.
While the minister lauded the troops for their bravery, he said: “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.”
Rajnath assures justice to families of 3 slain civilians
“Such incidents (ambush) cannot be taken for granted. I know you are alert to the situation but feel more alertness is required. I want to assure you that the government stands with you and your welfare is our top priority,” Singh told the troops.
He added: “There is a need to do it with more seriousness and it can be achieved by meeting the people, listening to their problems and raising those issues at appropriate level for redressal.”
The minister also met the families of the three civilians found dead last week. He assured justice to their families and also visited the Government Medical College to inquire about the health of four other “torture” victims.
“Please have faith in us. Nobody can bring back to life of those who have died. But there will be justice,” Singh told five members of three families of the deceased. He further said they are all pained at the loss of lives in Poonch.
“We all – I, LG Sahib and Prime Minister Ji – are pained,” he told the kin in presence of divisional commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar and IGP Anand Jain. “Whatever has happened…there will be justice,” he said.
(With PTI inputs)
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