Army Chief's message warns those on payroll of Pak and ISIS: Defense experts

Jammu, (Jammu and Kashmir) [India] Feb. 15 (ANI): Supporting Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat's strict message to anti-national elements in Jammu and Kashmir, defence experts on Thursday said that Rawat's statement is a warning to all those who are on the payroll of Pakistan and ISIS. "What Army General Bipin Rawat has said is absolutely correct. It is a warning to all these overground workers who are on the payroll of Pakistan and ISIS to desist doing such actions otherwise strict actions will be taken against them," defence expert Captain Anil Gaur told ANI. He added that the Indian Army is one of the finest organisations in the world and it does not kill innocent people anyway. "It is in the interest of the civilians that whenever Army operations are going on, they should not venture outside. There should be no question of coming out or trying to create a situation where the Army has to act against them," Gaur said. Echoing similar emotions, former DGP of Jammu and Kashmir M.M. Khajuria said when someone is waving a Pakistan flag or the ISIS flag then that person is conveying where their loyalty lies. "When you wave a Pakistan flag, or even worse, wave the ISIS flag then you are conveying a message and exhibiting publically your loyalty. That is a challenge to the Indian state," he told ANI. He added that this is a very realistic statement given by the Indian Army Chief and it should have been recognized much earlier. "These organizations, who get the people either by exciting them or may be by purchasing them, should get a message that this is not a cake walk and is something very serious for which they will have to pay," he said. He added that the strategy of the enemy is to integrate people on the routes through which reinforcement might come and with such decision the causalities which the country is suffering today will not take place again. "I hope the state government and the government of India are aboard on this and this message goes loud and strong and wherever the action is necessary, it will be taken affectively," Khajuria said adding, "This is something which the politicians would have released earlier, but I am glad that the Army chief has spoken". General Rawat on Wednesday said those Kashmiris supporting terrorists would be considered anti-national. "People who have picked up arms, the local boys, if they want to continue with such acts of terrorism and display flags of ISIS and Pakistan, then we will treat them as anti-national elements and go helter-skelter for them. Our relentless operations will continue," General Rawat said while paying tribute to the bravehearts of the Handwara and Bandipora encounters. Urging the local people to extend their support to the security forces trying to maintain peace in the Valley, Rawat said they won't be spared if they continue resorting to negative acts. Four army personnel, including a major lost their lives in two encounters in the Bandipora and Handwara areas of North Kashmir yesterday. Three other officers and three civilians sustained injuries as well. Four militants were also neutralised. (ANI)