BSF, Pakistan Rangers vow to maintain peace along IB
Jammu/New Delhi, June 4: India's BSF and the Pakistan Rangers on Monday agreed to maintain peace and tranquillity along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir, hours after an intermittent exchange of firing between the two.
The assurance came at a sector commander level flag meeting between Border Security Force (BSF) and Pakistan Rangers at Border Outpost Octroi (on the Pakistan side) across R.S. Pura sector of Jammu district which lasted for about two hours. It was decided to hold next such meeting on June 21.
"The prime focus of the meeting was to maintain peace and tranquillity on the border. The meeting is likely to bring firing-free environment, particularly for border area villagers on both sides. Commanders on both sides agreed to keep talks on every level to develop confidence between two border guarding forces," a BSF statement said.
"The meeting went off in a conducive atmosphere," it added.
The BSF delegation, comprising of half a dozen officers, was led by its Deputy Inspector General, Jammu Sector, P.S. Dhiman while Brigadier Amjad Hussain, Sector Commander, Sialkot, led the Pakistan delegation which comprised of 10 officers.
This was the third sector commander level meeting of the year, coming amid heavy shelling and firing on the International Border.
The last sector commander level meeting was held on the International Border in Suchetgarh area of Jammu on February 23.
The meeting, called at the request of the Pakistani side, came after Pakistan Rangers targeted four border outposts of the BSF in Akhnoor sector on Monday morning. The Pakistanis had subsequently sought a flag meeting.
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PM Modi, Shah spreading lies that Rahul Gandhi is against reservation, alleges Priyanka Gandhi
Shirdi (PTI): Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union minister Amit Shah of spreading lies about her brother Rahul Gandhi that he is against reservation.
She said these leaders are scared of Rahul Gandhi because he wants a caste census to be conducted in the country.
Addressing a poll rally in the temple town of Shirdi in Ahilyanagar district of Maharashtra, she said projects worth Rs 10 lakh crore were snatched away from Maharashtra.
"All of us are proud of Maharashtra. But in this land, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is being insulted...you people are being insulted. All these leaders, including Modi ji, take his (Shivaji Maharaj) name, but they do not respect him," Gandhi alleged.
PM laid a foundation for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue but later stopped the work, she said, apparently referring to the warrior king's proposed memorial in the Arabian Sea off Mumbai.
"The statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj outside Parliament was removed. The statue installed in Sindhudurg, collapsed as corruption took place in its construction. What is the point of taking the name of the legendary king if you want to insult that person," she said.
She challenged PM Modi to announce publicly that a caste census conducted and the 50 per cent cap on reservation will be removed.
"But they say from the public platform that my brother is against reservation. The person, who traversed from Manipur to Mumbai carrying out Nyaya Yatra, about him you are saying that he is against reservation. They tell lies from public platforms as they know that the person travelled from Kanyakumari to Kashmir seeking justice and seeking caste census.
Gandhi added that PM Modi always takes the name of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray.
"Yes, our ideologies (Congress and Shiv Sena's) were different...Yes, our political thinking was different... But neither Balasaheb Thackeray nor any leader from the Congress and Rahul ji would tolerate the insult of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj," she said.
