Parrikar, army chief cancel Drass visit after heavy rain

Inclement weather on Thursday forced defence minister Manohar Parrikar and army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag to cancel their scheduled visit to Drass for paying homage to the martyrs of the 1999 Kargil war.

Inclement weather on Thursday forced defence minister Manohar Parrikar and army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag to cancel their scheduled visit to Drass for paying homage to the martyrs of the 1999 Kargil war.

“Due to bad weather, the defence minister accompanied by the chief of army staff and general officer commanding-in-chief of the Northern Command could not proceed to Drass,” defence sources said here.

Parrikar and General Suhag arrived here early on Thursday but heavy rain and cloud cover forced the cancellation of their visit to Drass in Kargil, the sources said.

The defence minister and the army chief were scheduled to pay homage to martyrs of the Kargil War, the sources said.

However, a wreath-laying ceremony was held at Drass War Memorial with Lt General SK Patyal, the general officer commanding of the army’s 14 Corps, paying floral tributes to the martyrs, the sources said.

Before heading back to the national capital, the defence minister was briefed about the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. “The defence minister was briefed about the recent operations along the Line of Control, including the counter-infiltration grid and counter-militancy operations in the hinterland,” they added.

The army has planned elaborate celebrations to mark the 15 anniversary of the Vijay Diwas, victory in Kargil War, this weekend.

The families of the martyrs and the soldiers who took part in the operation have been invited for the three-day celebrations beginning on July 24.