NEW DELHI – Surgical strikes are not the only option for the Indian Army toretaliate to Pakistan, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat*linkon Tuesday.
“We keep carrying out operations and we have plans in place but it’s notnecessary to call every action a surgical strike,” he said while speakingto Zee News.
India claims Special Forces of the Indian Army carried out a covertoperation on September 28 and 29, 2016 and destroyed terror launchpadsbacked by Pakistani army across the Line of Control.
The Army chief said that in the past two years, the Forces have hit backhard at Pakistan, causing maximum damage as infiltration attempts remainedhigh. “Pakistan should mend its ways or we’ll continue to hit back,” hesaid.
He made it clear that recordings of operations to furnish evidence is notalways possible as primary aim to is carry out the task at hand. “We don’tbother about gathering evidence and priority is carrying out the operation.
Commanders are told any video recording should only be done if it does notjeopardise the operation,” he said.
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General Rawat clarified this while responding to a question whether theArmy has been under pressure to provide evidence of the 2016 SurgicalStrike.
In a freewheeling interview, General Rawat spoke on counter terroroperations in Kashmir, India’s Pakistan policy, Army restructuring, theneed for modern technology among other issues pressing the Forces.
When asked whether he will join politics after retirement, he said he isnot cut out for it. “I speak my mind and this does not help in politics.”
