Pakistan will be hit 'very' hard, Indian Army Chief hints

The details of action plan will be shared after the execution said Indian Army Chief, General Bipin Rawat while commenting on Pakistan. The Army Chief hinted at very strong action against Pakistan and said that the forces would retaliate.

The reaction comes in the aftermath of Pakistan killing two soldiers and mutilating their bodies in a gruesome manner. The chief also went on to say that the Army had stepped up counter-infiltration measures. The snow is melting and this would lead to more infiltrations during the summer, he had also said.

Meanwhile at an event, the Army chief said that the military is not getting its due share as many people find defence spending a burden. General Rawat said a national military strategy and a security framework will be finalised very soon to effectively deal with security challenges facing the nation.

He lamented that the spending on defence is considered a burden by many in the country and the military is not getting its due share. India's true potential will be realised only when both economic growth and might of the armed forces go hand-in-hand he said while citing the China example.

Look for new friends:

He stressed on the need to look for new friends and allies to deal with neighbours along India's western and northern borders. He further said that the drafts of national military strategy and national security strategy were ready to deal with pressing issues coherently.

"We should be able to identify our own national military strategy. We do not have a national military strategy as of now. Directorate General of Perspective Planning has been tasked to come out with it.

He said a "very strong military" is key for the economy to develop and cited China's policy in this regard. The army chief also identified ensuring energy security as another important requirement for India to become a major power.

"While we are developing our economy, the military is not getting its due share. I think here we need to draw a lesson from China," he said, adding military and economic growth should be "co-joint" as they are two tenants of national power.

India's defence budget for 2017-18 was Rs 2.74 lakh crore, which is 1.63 per cent of GDP. China's defence budget is close to three per cent of its GDP. There has been a feeling among security experts and the defence establishment that the modernisation of armed forces is taking place at a very slow pace and that government has not been allocating adequate funds for it in the last few years.

OneIndia News