Exploring Army option in Naxal ops: Antony

Two days after the attack on Jnaneswari Express,Defence Minister A K Antony on Monday said that India's security threat has only increased and the government is examining the issue of involving the Army in the anti-Naxal operations.

Two days after the attack on Jnaneswari Express,Defence Minister A K Antony on Monday said that India’s security threat has only increased and the government is examining the issue of involving the Army in the anti-Naxal operations. Replying to queries of mediapersons on the sidelines of the National Defence Academy (NDA) passing out parade here,he said,”We are examining all pros and cons of the involvement of Army in anti-Naxal operations and once a decision is taken,it will be binding on the Army. The armed forces will accept the decision taken by the government and implement it with vigour.”

Antony said earlier there was a notion that war is confined to land alone,but post-26/11 there has been stepping up of the coastal security too. “The government is taking utmost care to strengthen the Army,Navy and the Air Force. We have carried out many modernisation plans,” he said.

Asked whether there was a split within the government on the use of Army against Naxals,particularly when Union Railway Minister Mamata Banarjee has sought a CBI probe into the attack and Trinamool MP from Serampore Kalyan Banerjee called West Bengal police chief foolish for blaming the Naxals for the train attack,Antony said that there was no split within the government on how to combat the Naxal menace.

He said there was neglect on the part of earlier governments to raise the infrastructure in the border areas in Northeast. “We have realised this and are in process of developing more divisions and landing space,” he said. Replying to whether the government has any plans to increase the troop strength in J&K,he said there were no such plans at the moment. “The government has a policy of zero tolerance on the issue of human rights violation in the state and there would be no cover-ups to shield the guilty,” Antony said.

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