Hitting out on Pak, Rajnath hints 'something big has happened'

Referring to the killing of Border Security Force (BSF) head constable Narendra Singh, whose throat was slit by the Pakistani troops near the International border in Jammu on September 18, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has said that "something big has happened in past two-three days" across the border to avenge the brutal killing of the soldier.

Addressing a public gathering here on Friday after unveiling the statue of Shaheed Bhagat Singh on his 111th birth anniversary, the Home Minister said, "Our neighbouring country Pakistan keeps fostering unrest in India. It's not refraining from its evil activities. People often ask how they mistreat our Border Security Force jawans."

He added, "Kuchh hua hai, main bataunga nahin. Theek thaak hua hai. Vishwas rakhna theek thaak hua hai do teen din pehle. Aur aage bhi dekhiyega kya hoga. (Something has happened. I won't reveal it now. Something big has happened. Trust me, something really big has happened two-three days ago. And you will also see what happens in future)."

Singh said the brutal killing of the BSF soldier has prompted an alert across the International Border (IB) and the LoC.

"The brutal incident has prompted the security forces to issue a "high alert" across the International Border and Line of Control (LoC) even as the Border Security Force (BSF) had lodged a strong complaint with its counterparts -the Pakistan Rangers," he said.

Rajnath gave the BSF a free hand to retaliate in case of firing from the Pakistani side, "Maine apne Border Security Force ke jawanon ko kaha tha, padosi hai, pehli goli matt chalana, lekin ek bhi goli agar udhar se chal jaati hai to phir apni goliyon ko matt gin'na. (I told our BSF soldiers that they (Pakistan) is our neighbour, do not shoot first but if they (Pakistan) shoot even a single bullet first, then, do not count our bullets)".

A day ahead, India marked two years of the surgical strikes against terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Singh said, "I remember the day the prime minister, showing his strong willpower, gave a go-ahead to the Army and our soldiers crossed the border and hit the enemy hard. Only one of our commandos sustained injuries."

The strikes were conducted on September 29, 2016, by the Indian Army in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the Uri terror attack wherein 18 Army personnel were killed. A team of commandos from the Army's Para Special Forces destroyed at least four terrorist launch pads.