New Delhi: Defence minister Rajnath Singh has said that India will not only act against those who carried out Tuesday’s gruesome terror attack on tourists at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, but also the conspirators.
“The Indian Government will take every necessary and appropriate step. We will not stop at those who carried out this attack. We will reach those who, sitting behind the curtains, conspire to carry out such nefarious acts on the soil of India”, Singh said.
“The perpetrators of such acts will receive a fitting response, and that response will be clearly seen in the near future”, he added.
The defence minister chaired a high-level security meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday and discussed all aspects concerning the attack and steps that need to be taken. A military solution, involving surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the Line of Control, has not been ruled out.
The meeting was attended by top officials, including National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Army Chief General Upendra Dwiwedi, and Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi.
Sources said that Singh directed the Forces to be on high combat alert and intensify anti-terror operations. “Be on high combat alert, intensify anti-terror ops,” Singh instructed. The minister’s directive comes even as Indian security forces are working tirelessly to apprehend the terrorists responsible for the attack.
The Government knows that the nation is bristling with anger at the moment and not taking any credible steps would make it look weak. The BJP has been accusing the previous Congress government of taking no steps against Pakistan after the 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attack of 2008.
Before taking any steps in the Pahalgam case, the Government will need concrete proof of Pakistan’s involvement though. Hence, an all out ‘Search and Destroy’ operation has been launched to track the terrorists involved in Tuesday’s attack. Additional troops are being sent to the region.
