NEW DELHI: A day after a 22-year-old Army soldier was killed in stone pelting in Kashmir, Army chief Gen. Bipin Rawat said Saturday stone pelters are over ground workers of militants and they should be dealt with sternly.
Gen. Rawat also sent a tough message to Pakistan, saying if Islamabad continues to support cross-border militancy, then the Indian Army can resort to “other actions” too.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event to mark the Infantry Day, the Army chief, however, did not elaborate on what could be the possible action he was talking about.
On the death of soldier Rajendra Singh in stone-pelting in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district, Gen. Rawat reiterated his earlier stand that the stone-pelters are nothing but over ground workers of militant outfits. “I still say the same… If they (stone-pelters) can kill people with such acts, are they not becoming like militants…”
22-year-old Singh died at a hospital in Srinagar Friday after he sustained head injuries during stone-pelting by a group of youths on Thursday, police said.
“I want to tell them (stone-pelters) that no one will benefit from stone-pelting,” said the Army chief, adding tough action should be taken against the stone-pelters. He said the Army has got an FIR lodged in the case.