Pakistan is like a patient who has been given anaesthesia and doesn’t know that surgery has already been done on him, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Saturday. The Minister’s remarks are first comments from a member of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) following the “surgical strikes” on terrorist launch pads along the Line of Control on Thursday.
Mr. Parrikar’s comments came even as Army chief Gen. Dalbir Singh visited the Northern and Western Commands and reviewed the Army’s operational preparedness in these two crucial commands.
Addressing a gathering in Peethsain in Pauri district of Uttarakhand, the Minister warned that India would not hesitate to carry out more such operations in the future if its interests were harmed.
“Pakistan’s condition after the surgical strikes is like that of an anaesthetised patient after a surgery who doesn’t know that the surgery has already been performed on him. Even two days after the surgical strikes, Pakistan has no idea what has happened,” he said.
“If Pakistan continues with such conspiracies, we will give them a befitting reply again,” the Minister said.
‘Army like Hanuman’
Comparing the power of the Army to that of Lord Hanuman, Mr Parikkar said, “I only made the Army aware of the powers it already possessed and it succeeded. On Modiji’s instructions, the Army did a brilliant job. On behalf of the country I congratulate the troops [involved in the surgical strikes].”
Speaking on the motive of the strikes, Mr. Parikkar said, “We don’t want to capture any country. Like Lord Rama conquered Lanka and gave it to Vibhishan, we did the same in the Bangladesh operation.”
Meanwhile, the Army chief interacted with top commanders and got a first hand assessment of the security situation amid heightened tensions along the LoC and the international border. While Lt. Gen. Surinder Singh, GOC-in-C, Western Command, briefed the Army chief about the situation in his sector, Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda, GOC-in-C, did the same about the Northern Command.
(With inputs from Peerzada Ashiq)
