Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said the situation along the Line of Control could escalate any time, PTI reported. “The Indian Army is always ready for escalatory matrix,” he added at an event in New Delhi.
Rawat’s remarks came in the backdrop of increasing ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the Line of Control since the Centre revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status on August 5.
Rawat, whose term ends on December 31, is likely to be appointed India’s first Chief of Defence Staff. Lieutenant General Manoj Mukund Naravane will succeed him.
The situation in Jammu and Kashmir has been brought under control to a large extent, PTI reported, quoting an assessment by the security forces. Unidentified officials said the security situation in the state was being closely monitored by the military. In November, Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy told the Lok Sabha that 950 incidents of ceasefire violation by Pakistan were reported along the Line of Control between August and October.
On Tuesday, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said the the Indian government’s recent actions could lead to a nuclear conflict between the two countries. Khan was referring to the scrapping of Kashmir’s constitutional status, the National Register of Citizens exercise in Assam, and the Citizenship Amendment Act.
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