5 Indian soldiers killed at LoC, Parliament outraged

Aug 6,  7:42 PM Five Indian soldiers were killed at LoC in Poonch Sector of Jammu and Kashmir. The issue rocked the both the Houses Parliament as members cutting across party lines demanded strong action against Pakistan. Some of them alleged that Government looks helpless in this case. Defence Minister A. K. Antony informed the Lok Sabha that a group of 20 armed men alongwith Pakistani troops ambushed a patrol party early in the morning killing five soldiers. The incident disrupted the proceedings in the Lok Sabha and the house was adjouned for the day after repeated adjournments. The issue was taken up in the Rajya Sabha for discussion. Mr Antony told the Rajya Sabha that India has launched a strong protest with Islamabad and assured the members that Indian Army fully ready to take all necessary steps to uphold the sanctity of LoC . Responding to members queries, the Defence Minister informed that the number of infiltration bids has doubled this year compared to corresponding period last year Mr. Antony said Indian armed forces are highly capable of protecting the country's sovereignty at all times. He said that New Delhi's action will depend on the signal will get from Pakistan and Government will continue to strengthen armed forces to protect security and national sovereignty. Participating in the debate, leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitly asked the Government to spell out its plan to ensure the country's security after the withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan next year. Echoing similar sentiments, CPIM leader Sitaram Yechury asked the government what steps it has taken so far on the increasing number of ceasefire violations and infiltration attempts. CPI leader D Raja said India should act like a matured and strong nation while dealing with its neighbours. BSP Chief Mayawati called for tough stand against the neighbours. Several members called for review of Defence and foreign policy and expressed their concern over repeated cross border attacks and Chinese incursion. Congress President Sonia Gandhi urged the Government to take appropriate measures in view of the incident. Mrs.Gandhi said India can not be cowed down by such blatant acts of deceit. She extended heart felt condolences with the bereaved families of martyred soldiers. Congress party has condemned the killings and asked the Government to take strong measures to deal with the situation. Taking a tough stand New Delhi today summoned Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan to register its strong protest against the killings. Official sources said that Mansoor Ahmad Khan was summoned by the Ministry in South Block and delivered a strong message. Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh will visit poonch tomorrow, where five soldiers were killed in an ambush along the Line of Control. Parliament witnesses adjournments on Pak firing, Telengana issues Aug 6,  4:36 PM The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day after it resumed work at 3 PM. The House was adjourned while the Defence Minister was making a statement on firing incident on Indian post along the Loc in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier, the House decided to discuss the firing incident in the afternoon after noisy scenes. The issue was raised by the Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav during the Zero Hour. He said India cannot trust Pakistan or China because both have regularly been violating ceasefire. Mr. Yadav was supported by BJP Leader Yashwant Sinha who demanded firm action against ceasefire violations by Islamabad and Beijing. In the Rajya Sabha, opposition members demanded an immediate response from the government on the firing incident. Raising the issue, Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley said the incident has very serious implications for the country’s defence and foreign policies. He said firing from across Pakistan has become very common. Mr Jaitley said China has also been making frequent incursions and the government is silent. Responding to Chairman Mohammed Hamid Ansari’s directive, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla said he will convey the feelings of the members to the Defence Minister. The Lok Sabha is to discuss the Pakistani firing incident this afternoon. Speaker Meira Kumar announced this before adjourning the House till 2 P.M amidst noisy scenes. The issue was raised by the Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav during the zero hour. He said India cannot trust Pakistan or China because both have regularly been violating ceasefire. He called for a bold and decisive stand by New Delhi to counter the challenges from the two countries. Mr. Yadav was supported by BJP leader Mr. Yashwant Sinha who also demanded a firm action against ceasefire violations by Islamabad and Beijing . Protest against bifurcation of Andhra continues for 7th day today Aug 6,  8:3 PM Agitating against the decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh, continued today across coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions. Protesters supporting united Andhra Pradesh took out rallies and resorted to road blockades at several places as the protests entered the seventh day today. In Anantapur, agitators stopped a passenger train at the railway station. In Kurnool and Nellore districts, the protesters cooked food on roads besides taking out massive rallies and blocking roads. A rally involving heavy vehicles, tractors and auto rickshaws was held in Chittoor district while some protesters burnt tyres on the roads. Meanwhile, 10 districts on the banks of the major rivers in the state have been put on high alert with met officials warning heavy rains at several places during next three days. Though the levels of flood water began receding in Godavari River , hundreds of villages remained marooned. Nearly 48 thousand people from low laying areas are presently taking shelter in 193 relief camps. Several villages remained cut off with the rest of the areas following the road connectivity and power supply were affected.