Aurangzeb an inspiration, says Niramala Sitharaman after meeting slain soldier's family

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met the family of slain jawan Aurangzeb in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Wednesday, June 20.

Aurangzeb, who belonged to the 44 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) camp at Shadimarg, was abducted by terrorists on Thursday, June 14. The Jammu and Kashmir Police had launched a massive manhunt, following which his bullet-ridden body was recovered from Gussu village, about 10 km from Kalampora, in Pulwama district, later in the day.

Sitharaman calls Aurangzeb an 'inspiration'

The brutal killing of the soldier by Kashmir militants has shocked the nation and left his family shattered. On visiting Aurangzeb's family, Sitharaman called Aurangzeb as an 'inspiration' to all.

"I came to meet martyr's family. I have spent some time here. One message I can take back from here is that here's a family, here's a martyr, who stands out as an inspiration for us and that is the message that I am carrying from here," she told reporters the fence minister told the media after visiting the deceased jawan's family.

Sitharaman's visit comes two days after the Shiv Sena had launched a scathing attack on the Centre and had asked whether "India really has a Defence Minister?"

Without naming Sitharaman, the party said that she has "a very weak and ineffective, faceless personality, who is at the helm, which is detrimental to the country".

"Our three services chiefs have always assured that the country's armed forces are forever prepared to tackle any challenges. We have full faith in the capabilities of our armed forces - but the leadership is inept," the editorials in the party mouthpieces, Saamana and Dopahar Ka Saamana, wrote.

Rawat's visit to Aurangzeb's family

Apart from Sitharaman, Aurangzeb's fellow soldiers and Indian Army chief Bipin Rawat have also visited his kin in the remote Salani village of Poonch.

Rawat had assured the slain rifleman's family that Aurangzeb's "supreme sacrifice" would not go in vain.

In a heartbreaking video that went viral on Saturday (June 16), Aurangzeb's father Mohammad Hanief, who is a former sepoy of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry, was seen breaking down and blaming Pakistan for his son's death.

"My son has laid down his life for the country. He was a brave soldier. My sons and I will also sacrifice (ourselves) for the nation. We want goons to be wiped out. Kashmir is ours. Why is Pakistan's flag flying in Kashmir? Why not the Indian flag? The Indian flag should be flying here," said Hanief, as another jawan tried to pacify the grief-stricken man.