Army chief General Bipin Rawat has said that the surgical strikes have sent across a message that the Line of Control (LoC) will be “sacrosanct” so long as Pakistan does not vitiate the atmosphere.

Referring to the surgical strikes, General Rawat, in an interview with the Times of India, said it would no longer be “hide and seek” and if India had to cross the border, it would do so through air, ground route or both.

The Army chief also blamed Pakistan for supporting terrorism, saying the neighbour had specifically called for ‘jihad’ after the Narendra Modi government’s decision to scrap the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. He added that it was Pakistan’s state policy to fight a proxy war with India.

He also rubbished Pakistan’s claims of using nuclear arms in case of a conventional war, asking if the international community would allow such a move. General Rawat said nuclear weapons were used for deterrence and not for war fighting.

Though he admitted that there was a step-up in infiltration attempts after August 5, he said the army was successfully targeting suspicious movement to combat such attempts.

Tensions between India and Pakistan have been on the rise since the government decided to scrap the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and divide the state into two Union Territories — J&K and Ladakh.

Speaking about the situation in the Valley after the move, the Army chief said a large number of people had realised that the decision was for their good. He added that after 30 years of violence, people should give peace a chance.

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