Centre backs Army Chief on 'fighting dirty war in Kashmir with innovation'

New Delhi: After the support lent by Army Chief General Bipin Rawat for Major Leetul Gogoi, the Centre on Monday concurred with the former's statement that 'the dirty war in Jammu and Kashmir calls for innovation'.

Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu took to Twitter to express the Centre's backing on the issue.

"Totally agree with #IndianArmy chief's statement that the dirty war in Jammu and Kashmir calls for innovation," Naidu tweeted while quoting a news daily article.

Meanwhile, defence experts have also opined that such felicitations would give morale boost to the Indian Army.

Army chief Rawat yesterday came to the rescue of Major Gogoi, and said such "innovative ways are required to counter the dirty war" underway in Kashmir.

Indicating his firm approach to counter the insurgency, Gen Rawat said Army would take steps, which would break the clutches of militancy in South Kashmir.

Rawat added that the situation prevalent in Kashmir makes it mandatory for the Army to resort to tough measures.

Major Gogoi was in the spotlight after a video shot during the April 9 Srinagar Lok Sabha by-polls, posted on the social media, showed a man tied on the bonnet of an Army jeep in Jammu and Kashmir's Badgam.

The video went viral and sparked a major controversy, with one faction condemning the Army's action while the other commended their ingenuity.

The Court of Inquiry regarding April 9 incident is under finalisation.