Jammu, Jan 6 (IANS) India will not do anything to disturb peace along the border in Jammu and Kashmir but will retaliate to any aggression by Pakistan, BSF chief D.K. Pathak said Tuesday.
The BSF director general said his men foiled three-four attempts by terrorists to sneak into India since Dec 31.
"India will not do anything to disturb peace along the border but will retaliate befittingly if the situation demands," Pathak told the media.
"Prevalence of peace (is the) best situation. But if Pakistan does not want peace, if firing comes from their side, we will definitely respond," he said.
"We cannot go on taking bullets," Pathak said, after paying tribute to Border Security Force trooper Devinder Singh who was killed in shelling by Pakistani border guards in Samba district Monday.
Pathak visited the international border in Samba, Kathua and Jammu districts Tuesday to take stock of the situation following indiscriminate shelling by Pakistan Rangers in the last three days in which two BSF troopers and a woman were killed.
He said there has been no firing at the border since Monday night.
Pathak admitted Pakistan too suffered civilian deaths but said it was "collateral damage". India has never targeted civilian areas, he said.
"The BSF never targets civilian areas, there can be collateral damage... But they always fire first and target our civilian areas."
Asked about the provocation for the Pakistani firing, Pathak said: "There can be more than one. Since Dec 31, we have foiled three to four attempts of infiltration. We have good proof of this.
"There can be multiple reasons for the escalation in firing. It is possible they are trying to divert attention from Peshawar," Pathak said, referring to the massacre of over 140 school students and teachers.
"Maybe it is because of the Republic Day," he added. US President Barack Obama will be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade in New Delhi Jan 26.
He said the last communication with Pakistan was Jan 1.
"On Jan 3, we went to deliver a protest note which they refused to accept. The note was then sent to the Wagah border, they refused to accept it there as well. So there has been no communication," he said.
The BSF chief said it could not be said with certainty whether the infiltration attempts were plotted by Lashkar-e-Taiba founder and Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed.
"Hafiz Saeed could be a factor, but this cannot be said conclusively," Pathak said.
He said that intelligence reports indicate that a large number of militants could be waiting to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir.
More than 10,000 residents of border villages have so far abandoned their homes in Samba and Kathua districts because of the shelling by Pakistan. They are now lodged in makeshift accommodations in safer places away from the border.
After Diwali, there is an increase in corona cases in the country. However, today there has been
NCC Displays Unity in Diversity: Modi
New Delhi, Jan 28 (IANS) The National Cadet Corps (NCC) was a "mini India" and it displays the
The central government has agreed to accept their conditions to make Moderna and Pfizer's corona
Corona War: 110 minibusses converted into ambulances in Haryana, 25 Volvo will also be built
The Haryana government has stepped up efforts to stop the spread of corona in villages. Under thi
Modi inaugurates 13th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
Gandhinagar, Jan 8 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday inaugurated the 13th Pravasi Bh
'Impose 100% tariff on India', America is pressuring the G7 countries. What does Trump want?
No one knows what US President Donald Trump will say at any moment and what he will do the next m
The case of teacher Manisha's death has once again taken a new turn. Calling the police's claim o
Monu Manesar's connection with notorious criminal Lawrence Bishnoi has come to light. The video o
Punjab's Urban areas to have Underground Cables
Chandigarh, Feb 2 (IANS) All the urban areas in Punjab will have underground cables for power s
Impeachment motion submitted against Donald Trump, will he be evicted from power?
The Democratic Party has submitted two impeachment motions against him in the US Parliament a sho
