India ready to face any eventuality, says Antony

KASARAGOD/KER: Faced with increased instances of firing from across the border and infiltration, India on Saturday asked Pakistan not to encourage such acts and said that it has taken a serious note of all such incidents.

"India appeals to Pakistan not to encourage infiltration and the recent cross-border firing, in which we lost lives of a few armed personal, is viewed with all seriousness and the Indian armed forces are prepared to face any eventuality," Defence Minister A K Antony told a press conference here.

Antony, who was here to lay the foundation stone of the Rs 200 crore strategic electronic unit of the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd near here, said the armed forces have been asked to remain ever vigilant to defeat any attempt of infiltration aimed at creating trouble along the borders.

On a question whether a war like situation prevailed in the face of recent firing incidents along the borders, he replied "not at all."

"But such developments during the last two months are viewed with all seriousness," he said adding the armed forces have been asked to exercise vigilance and alertness.

"India is on the process of constant and systematic modernisation of the armed forces and we are taking series of steps to improve the working conditions of armed personnel and the country's armed forces do not lag behind any other nation," he said.

Stating that his upcoming tour to the United States was a "courtesy visit," he said the tour has nothing to do with the proposed Indo-US nuclear deal.

"The United States like Russia and China are our friends and a joint armed exercise with China will take place soon," Antony said.