India will give a fitting reply to Pak firing: Defence minister

Defence Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday assured the Lok Sabha that the Indian forces in Jammu and Kashmir would give a fitting reply to firing from across the border by Pakistan rangers.

Responding to a reference made during zero hour by Mangat Ram Sharma (Congress) and Chaman Lal Gupta (Bharatiya Janata Party), the minister said it was incorrect to say that the Indian forces were not responding to the Pakistani provocation. The issue had also been raised before Pakistani representatives involved in talks with India.

Earlier, both Gupta and Sharma said that farmers, particularly in some districts of Jammu, had been forced to leave their land. These farmers should be compensated, the MPs -- who represent Jammu and Kashmir in Parliament -- demanded. Gupta said the entire 150-km border was becoming unsafe and people had started leaving the areas.

During Question Hour, Yadav said the resource crunch would not be allowed to obstruct India's defence preparedness. The minister said he had written separate letters to Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral and Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram seeking additional funds for the defence sector.

Yadav said the Rs 320 billion set apart in the year's Budget for maintenance and modernisation of defence services was less than what China and Pakistan had budgeted for their armed forces. He felt the resource position would improve considerably within the next two years.

UNI

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