Any attack will be given befitting reply, says Rajnath Singh on Pathankot terror attack
New Delhi: In a cautious reaction to the terror strike in Pathankot, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said any attack will be given a befitting reply even as India wants good relations with Pakistan.
"Pakistan is our neighbouring country. We want good relations with not just Pakistan but with all our neighbours. We also want peace but if there is any terror attack on India, we will give a befitting reply," he said.
He was commenting on the attack by suspected Pakistani terrorists at Air Force base in Pathankot this morning in which four terrorists were killed and three IAF men injured.
Singh said he was happy that the security forces – army jawans, paramilitary jawans and jawans of the Punjab police -- were giving a befitting reply.
"The country is proud of our security forces and our jawans," he said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal along with DGP State Police, Suresh Arora, has rushed to Pathankot.
"Chief Minister has rushed to Pathankot.Accompanying him is the Punjab Police DGP," said CM Badal's advisor and SAD General Secretary, Harcharan Singh Bains.
Meanwhile, in Jammu, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, Jitendra Singh, said that Indian security forces are well-prepared to deal with all situations.
"Our security forces are well-prepared to deal with all kind of situations," he said following the early morning attack in Punjab.
The minister, however, refused to elaborate further in this regard, saying that security-related issues cannot be discussed in the public domain.
"These are security-related issues which cannot be discussed in the open; but all the agencies concerned -- army, paramilitary forces -- have taken cognisance and are prepared to deal with all situations," he said.
On whether the talks with Pakistan should continue despite the Pathankot attack, Singh said these decisions have to be taken by Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of External Affairs.
"That is a separate issue and only the ministry concerned, including MEA and MHA can speak on it," he said even as he averred that "there were elements" who were not in favour of the restoration of peace between the two nations.
"The elements that do not want peace to be restored, they time and again carry out such acts, but I want to tell you that the process of peace has its own power", he said.
