Army officers in war-like zones free to act, don't need to consult Members of Parliament: Jaitley
Replying to a question on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said Army officers in war-like zones were free to act and did not need to consult Members of Parliament.
In Short
- Military solutions are to be provided by military officers, Jaitley said.
- By tying the stone pelter to a jeep, I saved many lives, said Major Leetul Gogoi.
- BJP leaders have praised Gogoi for his brave and out-of-the-box thinking.
A day after the Indian Army put in public domain the video of its recent punitive assaults on Pakistani posts along the LoC in Naushera, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley has said that its officers were free to take decisions in a "war-like" zone.
In response to a question on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Jaitley said on Wednesday, "Military solutions are to be provided by military officers. We should allow our Army officers to decide on how they must deal with a situation when they are in a war-like zone."
He went on to add, "Our Army officers do not have to or need to consult Members of Parliament on what they should do under such circumstances."
MAJOR LEETUL GOGOI HONOURED BY ARMY
His comments seemed to be justifying Major Leetul Gogoi's action in tying a man to a jeep in Kashmir purportedly as a shield against stone pelters. Major Gogoi has been felicitated by the Army for such a step.
Gogoi claimed that by doing so, he managed to save many lives without having to fire even a single bullet. The video of Indian Army's recent strikes on Pakistan posts, that was made public yesterday, is being seen as action avenging the mutilation of our 2 soldiers earlier this month.
The Army also showed a video of some structures in a forested area crumbling in a heap under the impact of repeated shelling.
(WITH INPUTS FROM PTI)
Also read | Pakistan calls Indian Army's claim of punitive assault on its LoC post 'false'