‘No unprovoked attack from across border shall go unanswered’

New Delhi, June 5

We are making no U-turn in Kashmir or on policy on Pakistan, said Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while addressing a press conference here in New Delhi on Tuesday.
On being asked what had changed since the time Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said there was need to punish the Pak Army to the now announcement of a ceasefire, Sitharaman said: “We are not doing a U-turn on Kashmir or Pakistan”.
On being asked if the Army and MoD were on board to take the decision on having a ceasefire in Kashmir during the ongoing month of Ramzan, Sitharaman said: “We honour the decision, it was a decision of Government”. The Minister was addressing a press conference to mark four years of the Narendra Modi government.
Responding to questions on the firing along the Indo-Pak border despite the two sides agreeing for truce, the Minister said no unprovoked attack from across the border would go unanswered and defence forces had been given room to hit back.
“We shall keep our borders safe; forces have been given room to respond to any unprovoked firing. We shall ensure that no unprovoked attack goes without a response,” she said.
The Defence Minister said it is not her ministry’s role to determine whether the ongoing Ramzan ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir had been successful or not.
‘No shortage of funds’
Just months after the Standing Committee of Parliament said there was shortage of modernisation funds, Sitharaman said: “I want to dispel this image that we are short on funds”.

“Prioritise your wish list that is what we have told the forces,” she said.

A report of the parliamentary standing committee in March quoted Lt Gen Sarath Chand, the Vice-Chief of the Indian Army, that the Budget 2018-19 has “dashed” all hopes of modernisation of the force, which is saddled with equipment, of which more than two-thirds is “vintage”.
At present, 33 per cent of the country’s capital expenses (new infrastructure and equipment) are mandated for the defence. Overall, the defence has some 12 per cent of the entire budget of the country.
Opening of roads in cantonments
The Minister said she had series of meetings with senior officers of the Army. “We had requests from MPs of all parties—Congress, BJP, Shiv Sena, TMC, and AIADMK were present at meeting on May 4”.
The Director General of Defence estates had given a list. A total 850 roads were under closure, out of these 119 roads were closed without following any procedure.
Only 80 out of 119 roads have been opened. “There is lot of concern,” the Minister said, adding that she had met the wives of armed forces officers. “The Ministry is conscious of the concerns about unit lines are and areas where families are living.”