‘Anyone picking up arms against state is a terrorist’
SECULAR STAND In a snub to errant politicians, Lt General Anbu says the army doesn’t communalise its troops as it respects all religions and lives together for the nation
JAMMU:
Recuperating from Sunjuwan terror attack that left six soldiers and a civilian dead, the Northern Army Command chief Lt Gen Devraj Anbu on Wednesday said that anyone who picked up arms against the state was a terrorist and the Army knows how to deal with them.
In an apparent snub to politicians and without naming AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who tried to give communal colour to the sacrifices of soldiers in Sunjuwan and Karan Nagar attacks in Jammu and Srinagar, he said, “We don’t communalise our troops.”
Responding to media queries at the Northern Command headquarters in the garrison town of Udhampur, Lt Gen Anbu said, “The huge presence of people of Kashmir (in the funeral of soldier Mohammed Ashraf Mir) on Tuesday was a testimony in contradiction for all who wanted to communalise the army.”
The Northern Command chief said that the Indian Army respects all religions.
He regretted that the people who don’t know internal functioning of the army were the ones making such statements.
‘FIR ON MAJOR HAS NOT DENTED TROOP MORALE’
On Major Aditya Kumar of 10 Garhwal, against whom the PDP-BJP government has registered an FIR in Shopian killings, he said that the FIR has not dented the morale of his troops, “not even a bit”.
The Supreme Court, it may be stated here, has stayed the FIR for 15 days after Major Aditya’s father moved the apex court.
“Our intentions are very clear. I think our deeds are there to speak (for themselves). Last year, we haven’t found even a single case of human right violations taking place,” he said.
ON PAK CASUALTIES ACROSS LOC
When asked about whether the tit for tat response to Pakistan Army on the LoC was paying off, he said that operations along the LoC were quite complex, challenging and dynamic.
Lt Gen Anbu said that in fact, the Indian approach has been very proactive since the Uri army base attack.
“Therefore you don’t come to know the damage we have done across (the LoC). Our adversary doesn’t accept the casualties. I read it in one of the papers or online that 192 soldiers of adversary were killed. As for as our conservative estimates we inflicted three times more casualties on them. I assure you that we will not be cowed down by fidayeen attacks,” he said.
“As many as 185-220 militants in the south and 190-225 militants north of Pir Panjal range are ready for infiltration from across the LoC,” Lt Gen Anbu informed.
He also said that terror outfits Jaish-e-Mohammed, Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-eTaiba were hand-in-glove with each other.
Lt Gen Anbu suggested that three things needed to be focussed upon to curb militancy; first to stop infiltration, second to eliminate anti-nationals in the hinterland and third to arrest radical elements.
To deal with stone-pelting, Lt Gen Anbu added, “We have devised a method where CRPF and police deal with stone-pelters so that the army carries out its counter-insurgency operations.”
On the issue of securing army installations in the backdrop of attacks on army armed forces base camps, he said, “So far ₹364 crore have been spent on security gadgets by the army to fortify its large number of small units.”
PRESENTS GALLANTRY AWARDS
Lt Gen Anbu also presented gallantry awards to the officers and other ranks in a solemn and impressive investiture ceremony at Udhampur.
He presented 39 Sena Medals (gallantry) including two posthumous awards to officers and soldiers .
He also presented ‘Unit Appreciation’ to 26 units for their overall outstanding performance in the Command Theatre last year.