Jaipur: Major Leetul Gogoi, who had tied a man to a jeep as a shield against stone-pelting, saved lives under “exceptional circumstances” and the Army has appreciated it, Information and Broadcasting minister M Venkaiah Naidu said today.
“The action of the Major was taken in exceptional circumstances and the Army has appreciated him. He wanted to save the lives of the Indian citizens including officers who were on election duty,” Naidu said here.
He said that the elements who supported and funded stone pelters in Kashmir stood exposed.
“People know who are behind stone pelting in Kashmir. Who is funding them is all exposed by the media. For political reasons, the National Conference is trying to sympathise with such people by criticising the government and Army,” Naidu told a group of mediapersons here.
Kashmir is an integral part of India and every Kashmiri is an Indian citizen, the Union minister said.
Referring to Pakistan, Naidu said, the neighbouring country should be exposed internationally.
In this context he cited the Kulbhushan Jadhav case and said India had taken the matter to the International Court of Justice and got a stay on his execution.
Major Gogoi, who had tied a Kashmiri youth to the bonnet of a jeep as a human shield to thwart stone pelters, has been awarded the Army Chief’s Commendation Card.
—PTI