NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister
Rajnath Singh said on Friday that the India-Pakistan border would be sealed completely by December 2018.
"The
Home Ministry
has decided to completely seal the India-Pakistan border by December 2018. This will be monitored," Singh said after holding a meeting on the security of border areas. "We will start a new concept called Border Security Grid. Inputs from all border states will be taken," he added.
The government's decision to seal the border comes in the wake of rising tensions between India and Pakistan after the September 18 terror attack on a military base in Jammu and Kashmir, and the Indian Army's surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the Line of Control.
During his brief interaction with reporters in Jaisalmer, Rajnath Singh also highlighted the importance of trusting and standing by the Army during a time of increased tensions between India and Paksitan.
When quizzed about the political storm created by Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi's comments on the surgical strikes. Singh had this to say: "People, working in any field, must show restraint at a time of escalated tensions."
Singh's comments came on a day when Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to clarify his position on the surgical strikes. He said that while he fully supported the strikes, he didn't support "using the Indian Army in political posters and propaganda".
Yesterday, he'd landed himself in hot water by accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of politicizing the sacrifices of Army jawans. The BJP responded furiously on the same day, calling his comments "shameful." On Friday, the party's national president - Amit Shah - strongly criticized Rahul's comments at a press briefing.
Inputs from agencies