The Indian Army is eager to “teach [a] lesson to our enemy” and is only waiting for permission from the government to do so, Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Sunday. The National Democratic Alliance government had already given the armed forces the required permission “two-three times”, Parrikar said at a campaign meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Goa, according to PTI.
“We want to tell our enemy that if they stare at us, we can stare with bigger eyes,” Parrikar said. “We are completely committed towards the security of the country. It is not just about tightening the border but we have also given required armaments to the soldiers,” he added. Separately on Saturday, Parrikar said the armed forces had been given permission to “shoot at anyone” with an AK-47 machine gun, “as it is obvious that they do not have any good intentions”, The Times of India reported.
His remarks came days after Pakistan conducted military exercises near its border with India in the Punjab province. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had then said that Islamabad would give a “befitting response” to any “ambitious and reckless move” by its enemies. On November 10, he had said he believed India should not bind itself to a policy of not using nuclear weapons first. “I should say I’m a responsible nuclear power, and I will not use it irresponsibly,” he had said in remarks that were criticised by Opposition parties for undermining India’s efforts for membership to bodies such as the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the United Nations Security Council.
Relations between India and Pakistan have worsened since the the crisis in Kashmir following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani. India has held that there has been an increase in ceasefire violations after it carried out surgical strikes on “terror launchpads”. The strikes by the Indian Army came after militants on September 18 attacked an Army installation in Uri, killing 19 soldiers. India had accused Pakistan of being involved in the attack, but Islamabad had dismissed the allegations as “baseless”.
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