Give free hand to Army to retaliate: AK Antony

Former Defence Minister AK Antony on Tuesday asked the Modi government to give the Army the freedom to retaliate Pakistan's “barbaric” act killing and mutilating Indian soldiers on patrolling duty along the Line of Control.
 
The unusually strong words from the senior Congress leader came against the public outrage over the third such incident in the past six months.
 
Antony also reminded the Modi government that during his eight year stint as Defence Minister only one incident of killing and mutilation of Indian soldiers had taken place.
 
“In one sentence, my only request to the government is – give freedom to the Army to take appropriate action at the appropriate time,” Antony told reporters here.
 
He said such continuous attacks put a question mark on the security structure of the country. “It has affected the prestige, respect and morale of the Indian army,” Antony said.
 
Former Union Minister Kapil Sibal questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the incident. He recalled BJP leader Sushma Swaraj's remarks on when a soldier was killed and decapitated during UPA rule in 2013. “Sushmaji had said 10 heads for 1. We wish to ask the Prime Minister how many (heads) for the two,” Sibal said.
 
Sibal also took a dig at the NDA saying it was time the Prime Minister had a full time Defence Minister. “Only a full time defence minister can draft full time strategy towards growth and security,” he said referring to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who also holds the Defence portfolio.
 
Sibal said the 35 months of NDA rule have seen 91 civilian deaths in terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir as against 50 deaths during the last 35 months of the UPA government.
 
The death of jawans in the period under reivew were 103 during UPA rule and 198 under the Modi government.
 
Sibal said ceasefire violations have also increased from 470 in the last 35 months of the UPA to 1343 in the nearly three years of Modi government.