Jammu: Troop presence in Jammu and Kashmir will be "numerically enhanced" to deal with increased terrorist violence in remote areas and sophisticated weapons will be provided to village defence committees to enable them to counter militant attacks, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Tuesday.
"The situation in the state is under constant review and if attacks by terrorists on soft targets continue, we will numerically enhance troop presence," Mukherjee said after wittnessing emotional scenes at Tawa village in Doda and Basantgarh in Udhampur district where terrorists had gunned down 32 Hindus last week.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who accompanied Mukherjee on the tour, called on more people to join the village defence committees.
Asked about the government's recent announcement on reduction of troops from Kashmir and the reasons prompting the re-induction of forces, Mukherjee told reporters, "When we reduced the troops we did it voluntarily and even then we had made it clear that if the situation warranted we could change our stand."
The Defence Minister saw a sinister design behind the terrorist strikes against remote villages and defenceless people, saying they were aimed at sabotaging the upcoming round table conference to be held in Srinagar on May 25.
Asserting that nothing would be allowed to hamper the round table conference with separatists and other political parties, Mukherjee said, "The process which we have begun by involving people for the round table will not be given up."
Mukherjee also made a request to Pakistan to adhere to its commitments and not to allow its territory to be used for cross-border terrorism.
Pointing out that there were still 59 militant camps operational in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Mukherjee said this infrastructure has to be demolished to make it clear to terrorists that they do not enjoy support from any quarter.
"Terrorists are friends of noone and cross-border terrorism is the biggest menace in the world today, and this should be clear to the minds of the Pakistani leadership," he said.
Asked if Al-Qaida was a threat to the country, Mukherjee said, "Whether they (Al-Qaida) are in our neighbourhood or based in countries near us, they are always a threat to India."
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