General Bipin Rawat in Chennai, Monday. (PTI Photo)ARMY CHIEF General Bipin Rawat Monday said reports of a clampdown in Kashmir was a claim made by militants — and that the only breakdown in the Valley is in communications between militants and their handlers from Pakistan.
The Army chief also said that Pakistan's Balakot terror camp, which was targeted by Indian air strikes after the Pulwama attack, had been reactivated. He said that at least 500 militants are waiting to infiltrate into J&K from Pakistan.
Speaking to reporters after inaugurating the Young Leaders Training Wing at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai, Gen Rawat said the clampdown in Kashmir is “communication breakdown between the handlers of the terrorists operating from Pakistan and the terrorists in the Valley”.
“Otherwise, all telephone lines have been opened up… Special provisions are made by security forces for people to talk to their dear ones whenever they want to… So there is no communication breakdown between people to people,” he said.
Gen Rawat claimed that reports of a clampdown were projections by terrorists to convey that the government is taking harsh measures in Kashmir. Denying reports of shops being closed in Srinagar, he said shops open their rear doors and that the “front shutters are down because terrorists are threatening shopkeepers” to project the impression of a shutdown.
Gen Rawat also hinted that India could do something “beyond”…
