Lapses which hurt countrymen should not be repeated: Rajnath Singh to troops in J&K after Poonch civilian killings

Rajnath Singh, while addressing the troops in Rajouri during his Jammu visit, said that the government was committed to the welfare of the troops at any cost, but maintained that the soldiers should prioritize winning people's hearts besides guarding the country from the enemy.

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): In first public statement over the civilian killings in Poonch district following the ambush attack on an Army convoy last week, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday asked the security forces to “win the hearts of the countrymen” to ensure “lapses are not repeated which hurt the countrymen”.

Addressing the troops in Rajouri district during his visit to Jammu province, Rajnath said, "...Government is committed to your welfare. You are the guardians of the country, but at the same time, you have a bigger responsibility of winning the hearts of the countrymen. I know you are making efforts at your own level, but there are lapses.

Such lapses should not be repeated which hurt the countrymen. Besides guarding the country, efforts should be made to connect to the masses and win their trust,” the Defence Minister said. "I believe in your bravery and steadfastness. Terrorism should be finished from Jammu and Kashmir and you need to move forward with this commitment. I have full faith that you will achieve victory," Singh said.

• Interaction with troops in Rajouri. https://t.co/26ogZUsizE

  — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) December 27, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  Interaction with troops in Rajouri. https://t.co/26ogZUsizE

  — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) December 27, 2023

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  Interaction with troops in Rajouri. https://t.co/26ogZUsizE

  — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) December 27, 2023

Calling the Poonch ambush attack a “big incident”, Rajnath said that it was “most tragic that four of our jawans were martyred”. He also paid tribute to the fallen soldiers and offered condolences with the families even as he prayed for the recovery of injured soldiers. “I assure you that given the gravity of the matter, all required measures are being taken. For us the life of every soldier is important and each soldier is like a member of our family. This is the feeling of every Indian. Someone casts an evil eye on you, we will never tolerate it”.

The Defence Minister also asked the security an intelligence grid to pull up their socks after the Poonch ambush attack. “Security and intelligence agencies play an important role in foiling such attacks. And they are making efforts to improve their role. The government is eager to provide full support to the agencies. But these incidents cannot be taken for granted. We need to be more alert. You are alert, but I think there is a need to pull up,” he said.