The infiltration attempt by militants in J-K’s Gurez sector substantiates the fact that the infrastructure for launching militants is intact across the border, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said here today.While the attempt cannot be called another ‘‘Kargil-type attack’’, it shows that infiltration attempts have not stopped, Mukherjee said at a press conference following the handing over of the last nine of a batch of 17 HAL-upgraded Jaguars, and a pilotless target aircraft Lakshya, to the IAF.Describing the infiltration bid, the Defence Minister said a battle has been on between the Armed forces and militants for over two days. When the infiltrators were stopped by Armed forces, ‘‘they started firing. We tried to encircle them. This happened two days ago. It has taken some time because there has been rain and snow,’’ he said.‘‘This substantiates the point I am repeatedly making that infrastructure for launching infiltrators is intact on the other side of the border. It is not that these attempts stopped completely, it is the vigil of our men that has prevented it,’’ Mukherjee said.However, the infiltration bid by the Pakistan-trained militants would not derail the peace process, he said. ‘‘It is the psychology of extremists to disturb the process. We must not fall into that trap. The peace process should continue,’’ Mukherjee said.On Left opposition to the Indo-US defence framework agreement, Mukherjee said there was no question of a rethink. The pact provides a framework agreement for technology transfer, co-production and does not compromise national security or foreign policy, he said.‘‘China is a good friend of ours. So is Pakistan. The framework is not against any country,’’ the Defence Minister added.Scorpene: Govt to renegotiate price tagBANGALORE: Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said today that the Government would renegotiate the price tag for the six Scorpene submarines it plans to buy from France and insist on an integrity pact. ‘‘India wants to work out a fair price for the deal as well as resolve the cost escalation issue due to delay in the project," he said.
