Ajit Doval: India won't forget Pulwama terror attack

New Delhi: National security adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval on Tuesday said India has neither forgotten nor will forget the Pulwama terror attack and the country’s leadership is capable and courageous to mete out effective responses to such acts.

Speaking for the first time about the attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed on February 14 in Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Doval asked the paramilitary force to “constantly” enhance their professionalism, training, physical capabilities and quick response skills.

“What should we do? What should be our way, our aim and our response and time to respond ? The country’s leadership is both capable and courageous to do that,” Mr Doval said. “The country will tackle all such challenges and we have the courage to do this,” he said while addressing CRPF personnel on the paramilitary force’s 80th raising day celebrations at its group centre here.

Mr Doval began his 16-minute speech by paying tributes to the 40 personnel who were killed when a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist blew up his explosives-laden vehicle alongside their bus, which was part of a convoy going from Jammu to Srinagar.

The country has not forgotten and will not forget the terror attack, Mr Doval said, referring to the Pulwama incident. The NSA reiterated that the leadership of the country is fully capable to deal with any act of terror and also against those who abet it. Mr Doval is believed to be the person behind the planning of the airstrike on a JeM camp in Balakot in Pakistan.

The strike was carried out by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in retaliation to the Pulwama terror incident, which was one of the worst attack on security personnel in Kashmir in three decades. The Pulwama attack was a “very sad incident”, Mr Doval said, adding that the country will always be indebted to these personnel and their families.