Totally agree with Army General on fighting Kashmir's 'dirty war' through innovative ways: Venkaiah Naidu

Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu today voiced "total agreement" with Army Chief General Bipin Rawat's statement that the "dirty war" in Jammu and Kashmir has to be fought through innovative ways.

The Congress, however, said one of the fundamental tenets of counter insurgency operations across the world is winning the hearts and minds of the people also.

Asked to comment on the army chief's remarks, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said he "does not envy the army chief as nobody would like to be in his boots".

He said the army is dealing with a tough situation and one understands it, but it also has to be borne in mind that the Indian Army has perhaps the widest experience in counter insurgency operations.

"In fact, a large number of counter insurgency manuals in various other parts of the world, have actually imbibed the experience of the Indian Army and the Indian Armed Forces and one of the fundamental tenets of counter insurgency operations is also winning the hearts and minds of the people. And we would leave it at that," he told reporters.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Naidu tweeted, "Totally agree with Indian Army chief's statement that the dirty war in Jammu and Kashmir calls for innovation".

In an interview to PTI, Gen Rawat said that the army is facing a "dirty war" in the state and it has to be fought through "innovative" ways.

He also strongly defended the use of a Kashmiri man as a 'human shield' by a young army officer last month against stone pelters in the valley.