Appointment of interlocutor will not impact Army operations in J-K: Army chief Gen. Bipin Rawat

NEW DELHI: The appointment of the interlocutor for Jammu and Kashmir to engage in dialogue with all stakeholders to ensure peace in the state is not going to affect army operations, said Army chief General Bipin Rawat here on Wednesday, adding that the government strategy on Kashmir has worked.

On being asked whether the appointment of the interlocutor will affect army operations in J&K, Rawat on the sidelines of a FICCI and Army Design Bureau (ADB) seminar in Delhi replied to reporters, “I have a one word answer and that is no, it will not.”

On Monday, the Centre appointed former Intelligence Bureau Director Dineshwar Sharma-who is an old Kashmir hand in the IB- as its interlocutor for having sustained dialogue with all stakeholder in J&K. The move is aimed at bringing peace in the terrorism affected state.


In response to a question on whether Sharma’s appointment meant that the tough government policy on Kashmir was not working, Rawat said, “I do not think so. The policy of the government has worked. The government is speaking from a position of strength.”