JK BJP hails Army for punitive strike against Pak forces

Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir unit of BJP today lauded the Army for its “prompt punitive strike” across the Line of Control (LoC) in retaliation against recent ceasefire violations by Pakistani forces.

It also advised the local administration to take steps for the safety of border residents.

The BJP, which shares power with PDP in the state, expressed dismay and concern at the “inhuman behaviour” of Pakistani officials during the meeting of Kulbhushan Jadhav with his mother and wife.

“The prompt retaliation by the Indian troops wherein they went across the LoC to plant an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and killing Pakistani soldiers in the resultant crossfire speaks volumes of the valour of our troops and deserves kudos, state spokesperson of BJP Brigadier (Retd) Anil Gupta said in a statement here.

He said such actions lead to quid pro quo responses and may lead to escalation of tension on the LoC causing undue harassment to the local residents.

“The loss suffered by the Pakistani Army will not be easily digestible to it and it may respond by targeting the civilians. The local administration needs to prepare various contingencies so that they are not caught unaware leading to unnecessary loss of life or injury to the locals,” he said.

He added that ever since the installation of Narendra Modi led government at the Centre there has been a policy shift on responding to unprovoked ceasefire violations wherein local commanders had been delegated full authority for appropriate response.

Reacting to the “inhuman behaviour” meted out to the mother and wife of former Navy officer Jadhav in Pakistan, the BJP leader said the authorities there failed to adhere to the mutually agreed protocols prior to the meeting and deliberately violated them to harass the visitors.

“The personal and religious sentiments of the ladies were hurt and they were subjected to an emotional torture,” he said.

He added that Pakistan proved to the world the scant respect it has for social values and human rights.

“The meeting not only proved to be farce but a blatant attempt to create false narratives regarding the involvement of Commander Jadhav in alleged cases of terrorism in Pakistan which we strongly condemn,” he said.

He said the increasing hostility of Pakistan deserves a befitting response.

PTI