 "Our jawans responsible for joyous Diwali celebrations across India: Centre")
Amid ceasefire violations and cross-border firings that have rocked the country, the Centre on Saturday called on the nation to repose their faith completely in India's defence forces, adding that the joyous mood of Diwali across the nation was solely due to the sacrifices by India's soldiers.
Speaking to the media here, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the Army and the Border Security Forces (BSF) were giving a befitting reply to the continuous stream of unprovoked firing by Pakistan.
"Want to assure the entire nation that our army and BSF are giving a befitting reply. The nation should be assured that in no way will we bow down before any provocation," he said, adding the nation should believe in India's soldiers.
Rajnath further asserted that the credit for the nation celebrating Diwali in a joyous manner amid turbulent times belonged solely to India's jawans and the police personnel.
Meanwhile, with the body of an Indian Army soldier being mutilated by Pakistani terrorists in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir, the Centre has assured that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) will take cognizance of this development, and added that nothing could be more atrocious than this disturbing development.
"Nothing can be more atrocious than this. The human rights of soldiers should enjoy precedence over the human rights of anybody else. The longer Pakistan continues to be in denial mode the more it harms itself. We are confident that our defence forces and our government is capable of responding to any kind of threat on the borders and internally," Minister of State (MoS) Jitendra Singh said.
Speaking to ANI, the Union Minister stated that the barbaric killing of the army jawan is an eye opener for all those who keep raising the bogey of human rights, especially in Kashmir and added that the MEA and the Defence Ministry will take cognisance of the sequence of events.
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"The entire nation is angered with this development. The menace of terrorism, which has been unleashed on the soil of Pakistan is going to sooner or later devour and consume the perpetrators itself," Singh said.
Stressing that these are 'acts of cowardice' which are happening at a time of desperation on the part of Pakistan, Singh further said that the positive side of this is that the people living on the borders are on a high morale and are more concerned with thwarting the designs of the enemy, rather than be concerned about their own safety.
The Indian Army on Friday promised retribution after a jawan was mutilated by a terrorist in an encounter near the Line of Control in Macchil sector of Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir.
The terrorists mutilated the jawan's body, apparently beheading him, before fleeing back into Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir under the cover of firing provided by the Pakistan Army.
"One militant was also killed in the gun-battle. But the despicable act of mutilating the jawan's body reflects the barbarism pervading in official and unofficial organisations in Pakistan," said the Army spokesperson in Srinagar.
"The terrorists managed to escape due to the covering fire provided to them from the Pakistan Army posts. The incident will be responded to appropriately," he added. The soldier was identified as Manjeet Singh of 17 Sikh Light Infantry.
Earlier today, a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan also lost his life in the ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Machhal sector of Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Meanwhile, heavy mortar shelling by Pakistan has been reported in Kathua and Abdullian in RS Pura sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
Indian troops are giving a befitting response to the ceasefire violation initiated by Pakistan.
On Friday, A BSF head constable was killed and seven civilians injured as Pakistan Rangers on Thursday continued firing mortar shells and small arms in R S Pura and Arnia sectors, while the Pakistani army resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation along the LoC in Sunderbani, Mendhar and KG sectors.
However, A BSF spokesperson, said that a Pakistan Ranger was also killed and another injured in retaliatory fire.
Ever since the Indian Army on September 29th carried out surgical strikes targeting terror launch pads in PoK, ceasefire violations are a daily norm along the LoC and five Indians, including four security personnel, have been killed and 34 injured since.
On October 21, the BSF killed seven Pakistan Rangers and a terrorist in Kathua and on October 25, around three Pakistani Army personnel were reportedly killed in retaliatory firing by Indian troops in the Noushera sector of Rajouri district.