Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Dec 11: Union Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh today said Indian forces have taken adequate retaliatory action to stop Pakistani ceasefire violations.
“You cannot prevent Pakistan from violating ceasefire if it is up to mischief. Why only 900, it (ceasefire violation) can go up to 1000 but what is to be noted is the manner in which the retaliatory action has happened.
“None of the soldiers were slaughtered and heads taken away. On the contrary, our soldiers have gone and given them a beating,” said Dr Singh, Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office.
Former Union Minister Jitin Prasada, who was on the panel discussion organised at the Agenda Aaj Tak conference here, snubbed the claims made by Singh saying, “Where did this covert operation take place? Where did you beat Pakistan?”
Dr Singh said covert operations cannot be discussed on panel discussions such as these. To this Prasada said, “Like your Minister had told about Myanmar operation to the entire country on TV channels.”
Later, Prasada had a dig referring to Prime Minister’s remarks on 56-inch chest saying Dawood Ibrahim is still safe in Pakistan. “No comparison can be made between Prime Minister’s chest and a terrorist’s bravado,” Singh said.
Earlier, during the discussion, Singh said terror and talks may not go together.But talks on terror have to go on.
Dr Singh said the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Paris was on the sidelines and cannot be termed as a formal talk.
He refused to comment on the recent visit of Sushma Swaraj saying she being External Affairs Minister will herself brief the nation on the floor of Parliament which is in session.
On Jammu and Kashmir, Singh said the decision on accepting Mehbooba Mufti as Chief Minister will be taken by the party and he is not empowered to take that call.
Meanwhile, taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi’s ‘s charge that National Herald issue is driven by Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Dr Jitendra Singh said , “May be Rahul ji is talking about PMO during UPA’s regime because the National Herald case was filed somewhere around 2011 when PMO was being run by Congress-led UPA. As far as present Government or present PMO is concerned, we have nothing to do with it .This is is a court case filed by an individual long before we took over. ”
Speaking to media persons outside parliament house, Dr Jitendra Singh said, this allegation is so naive that it does not even deserve a rejoinder.
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