Need to wait and watch Pak response on J&K: Army chief

New Delhi : Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Friday said “we need to wait and watch the Pakistan response in Jammu and Kashmir, in case they act wrongly we reserve the right to retaliate”.
Addressing a press conference here ahead of Army Day (January 15), General Rawat said the DGMOs of both sides have spoken to each other and want peace and tranquillity along the Line of Control (LoC). The two officers spoke on November 23 and since then there has been relative peace along LoC.
On being asked if surgical strikes conducted across the LoC and also into Myanmar would be part of the doctrine, General Rawat said, “We have told the adversary to accept peace and in case that offer is not reciprocated this method of operations (surgical strikes) shall continue.”
On the gap in readiness (referred to as hollowness in military parlance), the Chief said “we have some issue of hollowness that need to addressed when we factor in a two-front war scenario —a simultaneous military engagement with Pakistan and China”.
The Army chief blamed the ongoing Pakistan-backed proxy war for disrupting the secular fabric of the country.
On being asked if Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi had spoken to him, General Rawat said, “We both have reached out to each other.” On the recent airing of an audio recording of Lt General Bakshi alleging that there was a malicious campaign to malign him, General Rawat said if I get a formal complaint we will take action.
Lt Gen Rawat was appointed as Chief overlooking the seniority of Lt Gen Bakshi.
On the issue of women joining combat, General Rawat said, “If women are okay with leading a life of combat so be it we are ready.”