BJP: UPA demoralised security forces, we gave them free hand

Our Correspondent

Jammu, April 14

Union Minister and BJP candidate for Udhampur constituency Jitendra Singh on Sunday said the UPA government had demoralised the armed forces, while the BJP-led Central Government gave them free hand to deal with terrorism.

Addressing a series of public meetings in different locations along the International Border (IB) in Kathua, Jitendra Singh said, “During the 10 years of the UPA government, armed forces did not have the freedom to retaliate even in the face of the fierce attacks on the border, nor did they have the freedom to retaliate even when they were repeatedly subjected to ambush attacks by Pak-sponsored terrorists.”

“After PM Narendra Modi came to power, the forces were given the freedom not only to retaliate but to take proactive action as per their professional discretion, the result of which was the surgical strikes, where for the first time Indian forces had the opportunity to strike at the enemy’s base camp and shatter both its defence as well as its morale and ammunition,” he added.

Singh said, “India unfortunately had to go through times when the indecisive approach of the UPA government coupled with the appeasement policy to keep a certain section of society in good humour resulted in letting down the armed forces. This not only resulted in repeated frequent cross-border firing and frequent terrorist attacks, but also led to restraining the Army’s enormous potential to fight the enemy.”

He said today that there is not a single incident of stone pelting in the Kashmir Valley whereas on the International Border, people have been liberated from the agony of frequently fleeing from their homes to take shelter in Panchayat Ghar, school buildings, and also at relatives’s houses. The issue has also been addressed by the government with the construction of family bunkers in each household along the border, which provides a facility almost as optimal as a one-room flat.”

Jitendra Singh said very soon the new generation living along the border, who are actually the first line of defence, would have forgotten all the hardships that their elders had to go through because now they are also cultivating their land up to the last point, “which has led to a hike in the income of the farmers along the border. Similarly, raising exclusive battalions along the border has increased the opportunities for employment,” he said.

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