Manohar Parrikar said the army's morale was boosted since Modi govenrment had come to power.
Panaji:
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said the army was vested with complete power to shoot people who open fire at them, adding that they don't need to wait for permission to eliminate the enemy before being shot.
"When I took over as the Defence minister, the first thing I told them (soldiers) that if you see machine gun or pistol in anyone's hand, don't expect that he has come to say hello to you. Before you get martyred, you should eliminate him," Mr Parrikar said at a NJP rally in Goa's Vasco on Monday.
He said that the army's morale had gone up since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government had come to power.
"In Kashmir our army was fighting with the terrorists. Congress government had given them direction that till they (terrorist) fires bullet on you, you don't retaliate," he said.
On repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistan, Mr Parrikar said the Indian troops had the complete power and were giving apt reply to the enemy.
"Our soldiers now don't need to seek permission from the Defence Ministry to fire at the person who fires at them. They have complete power and they are giving apt reply to our enemy. I feel bad that some of our soldiers are martyred," the former chief minister said.
Mr Parrikar said it took almost six to eight months for him to understand the functioning of the ministry.
"I did not initially understand how Defence Ministry works. It took 6-8 months for me after that I understood," the former Goa Chief Minister said.
"When I took over as the Defence minister, the first thing I told them (soldiers) that if you see machine gun or pistol in anyone's hand, don't expect that he has come to say hello to you. Before you get martyred, you should eliminate him," Mr Parrikar said at a NJP rally in Goa's Vasco on Monday.
He said that the army's morale had gone up since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government had come to power.
"In Kashmir our army was fighting with the terrorists. Congress government had given them direction that till they (terrorist) fires bullet on you, you don't retaliate," he said.
On repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistan, Mr Parrikar said the Indian troops had the complete power and were giving apt reply to the enemy.
"Our soldiers now don't need to seek permission from the Defence Ministry to fire at the person who fires at them. They have complete power and they are giving apt reply to our enemy. I feel bad that some of our soldiers are martyred," the former chief minister said.
Mr Parrikar said it took almost six to eight months for him to understand the functioning of the ministry.
"I did not initially understand how Defence Ministry works. It took 6-8 months for me after that I understood," the former Goa Chief Minister said.
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