Asking armed forces to be on guard along borders with both China and Pakistan, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat has said that terrorists working with the Pakistan Army can go rogue and it could escalate the situation with India.
Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, the Chief of Defence Staff also stated that while there was a need to be alert on both the borders, the primary front for the defence forces at the moment was the Northern border where India and China have been locked in a military standoff since last year.
"I would say both the fronts are a priority for us. While we have to be prepared at the northern fronts, especially after the situation that evolved in 2020, we can't lower our guard on the western front."
"I have always maintained that there are terrorists who operate with the Pakistani armed forces, some of these terrorists can actually become loose cannons and create a situation which could lead to an escalation. So we have to be fully prepared on our western fronts also. So I would say that we should be prepared for both the fronts but our primary front remains the northern front," Gen Rawat said when asked who is the main adversary for the Indian defence forces between China and Pakistan.
Asked about the deployment of two-strike corps on the China front in last one year, he said this was about reorientation of the forces which have been getting dual tasks for several years now and they were not new raisings.
On Pakistan's support for terror activities inside India, the CDS said while the ceasefire is holding along Line of Control (LoC) so far, the internal peace process is being disrupted by infiltration of weapons and drugs, using drones.
Gen Rawat said if the internal peace process is disrupted by the smuggling of drugs and weapons, then "we can't really say that the ceasefire is holding".
"Ceasefire so far along the LoC is holding, which is a positive sign. At the same time, we are also witnessing infiltration of weapons and ammunition, using drones. It doesn't augur well for peace as these drugs and weapons are meant to disrupt the internal peace process," he said.
"If the internal peace process is disrupted, then we can't really say that the ceasefire is holding. The ceasefire doesn't mean that you ceasefire along borders, but you at the same time create trouble in the hinterland. We would like a semblance of peace in the entire Jammu and Kashmir," the CDS added.
