 "Surgical strikes were a 'fitting reply' to incursions: Pranab Mukherjee")
The surgical strikes carried out by the Indian army across the Line of Control (LoC) in September last were a "fitting reply" to the repeated incursions, President Pranab Mukherjee said on Monday while describing it as a "decisive" step taken by the government.
Addressing the joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, he hailed the exemplary courage and valour displayed by the Indian defence personnel for successfully conducting the strikes.
"My government has taken decisive steps to give a fitting reply to the repeated incursions on our territorial sovereignty," Mukherjee said.
"On 29th September 2016, our defence forces successfully conducted surgical strikes at several launch pads along the Line of Control to prevent infiltration by terrorists," he added.
The strikes were conducted in the wake of a terror attack on army camp in Uri in Kashmir in which 17 soldiers were killed.
The mention about the surgical strikes in the President's address assumes significance as some quarters had questioned whether the action had actually taken place. There were also demands for showing proof in this regard.
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"We are proud of the exemplary courage and valour displayed by our defence personnel and owe a debt of the gratitude to them," the President said.
In the context of defence, he also said that the government had fulfilled the four-decade-old demand of one- rank-one-pension (OROP) of the armed forces veterans.
"The total financial implications would be around Rs 11,000 crore. More than Rs 6200 crore have been released in two tranches benefiting over 19.6 lakh veterans," said the President who is also the Supreme Commander of Armed Forces.