RNI No.2016/1957, REGD NO. SSP/LW/NP-34/2019-21 Follow us on: @TheDailyPioneer facebook.com/dailypioneer instagram.com/dailypioneer/ Established 1864 Late City Vol. 155 Issue 156 Published From *Air Surcharge Extra if Applicable NATION 5 WORLD 7 SPECIAL 8 DELHI LUCKNOW BHOPAL GOVT IS COMMITTED TO FOREVER, BHUBANESWAR RANCHI ONUS FOR INDO-PAK PEACE ON RAIPUR CHANDIGARH HONEST ADMIN: JAGAN PAKISTAN: WHITE HOUSE EVEN IN DEATH DEHRADUN HYDERABAD VIJAYWADA LUCKNOW, SUNDAY JUNE 9, 2019; PAGES 12+4 `3 www.dailypioneer.com Emergency purchase USUALSUSPECTS of Barrett M95.50 India now has sniper BMG and Beretta SWAPAN DASGUPTA Scorpio TGT Victoria .338 Lapua Magnum, ‘Contempt’ set to disrupt edge over Pakistan with kill range of 1.5 RAHUL DATTA/MOHIT KANDHARI n km to 1.8 km, negates creation of Modi’s India NEW DELHI/JAMMU Pak advantage on LoC ifteen days time is not even a ripple in the history of an ndia now has superior sniper While the process of zeroing in Fancient civilisation such as India. It has been just about Ipower than Pakistan. The on the ultimate vendor is still on, 15 days since the emphatic verdict of the people of India Army has made an emergency the Northern Command went in was known. And it is barely over a week since the post- purchase of latest sniper rifles for emergency purchase given election celebrations culminated in the grand swearing-in with a better range, firepower the ground situation on the ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Council and telescopic sights than the LoC, they said. of Ministers. adversary. The move comes Officials also said pro- For the victors, the period after the morning of May 23 after six soldiers died in sniper curement of the 5,800 rifles will has been celebratory. There may have been a few attacks by Pakistan on the Line be for all the 382 infantry bat- disappointments and heartburns over which individual made of Control (LoC) in Jammu & talions, each of which is sanc- it to the ministerial team and who got left out. But that hasn’t Kashmir last year and an iden- tioned 10 sniper rifles given the soured the mood. Indeed, what is remarkable is how easily tical number fell to the enemy’s specialised training and nature the remarkable transition of Amit Shah from being the most bullets in 2017. of the weapon, they said. The powerful BJP president after LK Advani to becoming the The new rifles, namely Special Forces units, however, second-most powerful man in the Government has been Barrett M95.50 BMG and are equipped with advanced achieved. More important, the Modi-Shah duo has not been Beretta Scorpio TGT Victoria the Northern Command chief kill range of less than 1 km there- sniper rifles like Israeli Galil forged as a political compromise — as say, the Nehru-Patel .338 Lapua Magnum, were for such emergency and criti- by giving critical operational rifles, and are now in the Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifts a cricket bat signed by the Indian World Cup partnership was negotiated in August 1947. This partnership recently inducted into some cal requirements. upper hand to Pakistani snipers process of inducting Finnish Team to Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on his arrival at Male, in is based on mutual trust and a common sense of purpose. I units on the LoC to negate the The US-made Barrett has whose Remingtons have a range Sako sniper rifles having a Maldives on Saturday PTI believe it will make for coherent and purposeful governance. advantage enjoyed by Pakistan a range of nearly 1,800 metres of 1.5 km. Moreover, the Russian range of 2,20O metres. For the losers, coping with the aftermath of the verdict there. Till now, they had better while the Italian made Beretta rifles do not have Picatinny rails Explaining the significance has not been easy. Unlike 2014 when the Modi victory was sniper rifles, Remington, with has a kill range of more than making the weapon incompati- of the deployment of these sniper interpreted by many as the electorate’s knee-jerk response a range of more than 1.5 km 1,500 metres. Both these rifles ble with several modern essen- guns at vulnerable points at the Terrorism biggest to five years of political ineptitude and venality, and a while the Indian Army gun’s are extensively used by Special tial accessories like magnification LoC, they said it comes at a time proverbial black swan event, it has been very different this range was far short. The new Forces of several countries and and sight systems. The new when Pakistan will now try to time. This time it is quite clear that, apart from Tamil Nadu rifles have a kill range of 1.5 km the induction of these high pre- rifles have the rails, and telescopic push in terrorists into Kashmir and Kerala that differed sharply, the whole of India spoke in to 1.8 km. cision weapons “will definite- sights of any magnification and after snow has melted thereby threat world facing a similar voice. More important, the unequivocal nature of Realising the seriousness of ly give us the advantage over sight can be mounted opening up all the ingress routes the mandate has been recognised by both the winners and the situation, the Northern the enemy which till now had thereby giving the required flex- in South and North of Pir Panjal. losers. There may be a few stray voices that persist in Command went in for imme- the upper hand at various ibility to the commander, they Though no infiltration bids have questioning the integrity of the EVMs and demand an diate procurement of at least 30 places on the LoC,” sources said. come to notice so far, the oper- today, says Modi immediate return to paper ballots. But, like the Russian new rifles which are now in use said. In all, the Indian Army ational commanders are not disappearing ink theory that made a guest appearance after by snipers trained abroad, offi- At present, the Indian Army needs nearly 5,800 sniper rifles taking any chances and have fur- In address to MPs of said, in an apparent reference the 1971 general election, this preoccupation with a grand cials said here on Saturday. is using 1963 vintage Russian- with a range of more than 1,200 ther strengthened the counter- to Pakistan. conspiracy to steal the election will pass. They also said the new rifles made Dragunov sniper rifles metres and the request for infor- infiltration grid all along the LoC, Maldives, PM urges India in the past has The political losers have reacted predictably. Rahul were bought under the provi- inducted into service in 1990. mation (RFI) or global tender they said. blamed Pakistan for carrying Gandhi’s second sion of special powers given to This semi-automatic rifle has a was floated way back in 2016. Turn to Page 6 world leaders to out terrorist attacks in the The hard core of the intellectuals consecutive poll debacle unite against menace country and asked it to stop — occupying strategic positions has, naturally, created supporting terror outfits oper- convulsions within the ating from its soil. in higher education, media and Congress and even PTI n MALE “The water is now rising even the bureaucracy — will destabilised State ‘Kerala dear to me like Varanasi’ above the head,” Modi said as he not cooperate in the creation of Governments in Karnataka, n a veiled attack on Pakistan, urged the world leaders to unite Rajasthan and, to a lesser of the State's 20 Lok Sabha inspiration," he said in his Prime Minister's outreach IPrime Minister Narendra for combating the menace. the New India that Modi seeks extent, Madhya Pradesh. PM reaches out to seats. Congress-led United speech made soon after offer- to people of Kerala is significant Modi said on Saturday that “Combating terrorism and to build. It is not merely that However, as yet, it hasn’t Democratic Front allies won ing prayers at famous Lord in the backdrop of Congress state sponsorship of terrorism radicalisation is the most accu- triggered any revolt within southern State another four seats, the Indian Krishna temple. President Rahul Gandhi's is the biggest threat the human- rate test of the leadership in the they have alternate visions — Congress and demands for where BJP scored Union Muslim League with Prime Minister said polit- renewed attack on him while ity is facing today as he urged world,” he said. which in itself is not illegitimate a new, post-dynasty two and the Kerala Congress ical parties and pundits failed to holding his thanks-giving road- the world leaders to unite for In support of freedom, beginning. The discussions (Mani group) and gauge the public mood ahead of show in his Wayanad Lok combating the menace. democracy, prosperity and — but that they have come all seem to centre on what zero in LS polls Revolutionary Socialist Party the Lok Sabha election. Sabha constituency in the state Addressing the Maldivian peace in the Maldives, India is precariously close to hating the is the best supporting cast with one seat each. Describing the just-con- from where he won with a mar- Parliament, the Majlis, Modi standing side by side with the for the dynasty. Meanwhile, PNS n NEW DELHI/ GURUVAYUR There was only marginal cluded Lok Sabha election a gin of over three lakh while said that relations between Maldives, Modi said. very system that can allow such the fragile pre-election increase in the BJP-led National "festival of democracy," Modi loosing his home constituency India and Maldives are older “Today in Maldives, and in an electoral verdict.