Rajnath briefs leaders across party lines on situation after surgical strikes

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh briefed leaders of major political parties on the situation in the wake of Army's surgical strike targeting terror launch pads across the Line of Control.

Singh chaired the hurriedly called all-party meet after DGMO Lt Gen Ranveer Singh announced that surgical strike on terror launch pads were conducted last night.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and NSA Ajit Doval were present at the meet attended by BJP chief Amit Shah, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, Union Minister and LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan and NCP leader Sharad Pawar among others Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu, BSP's Satish Mishra and RJD's Prem Chand Gupta also attended the meet. Principal Secretary to PM Nripendra Singh was also present.

Earlier, the Home Minister had informed Chief Ministers of West Bengal, Odisha, Punjab, Bihar and other states about the strikes.

The Indian Army had targeted seven terror launch pads across the LoC during the 'surgical strike' overnight in which heliborne and ground forces were used, to eliminate terrorists and put an end to their infiltration bids.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had met Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi before all party meeting and briefed her about the surgical strikes.

"We stand with the Govt in its actions to protect country’s security. Our party hopes Pak will recognise that it bears a great responsibility in continuing cross-border terrorist attacks against India," Gandhi said.

On Tuesday, Singh had asked the BSF to set up a real time intelligence sharing grid and seal all vulnerable points along the Indo-Pak border to effectively check infiltration bids.

Directing the BSF to discuss and expedite pending issues related to infrastructure development, welfare of troops and various other issues concerning the border management at the meeting that was attended by top officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the BSF, which guards Indo-Pak and Indo- Bangladesh borders, the Home Minister expressed concern over infiltration from across the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC) and "gaps and lapses" in border guarding.

Singh had last week reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, especially along the LoC, during a meeting attended by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, top officials of the home ministry, defence ministry, paramilitary forces and intelligence agencies.

As per reports, on September 20, two days after the dastardly Uri terror attack, Pakistani troops violated the border ceasefire in the same sector of Kashmir, targeting Indian army positions with small firearms.