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Modi questions Army’s surgical strikes under previous government, Lt Gen (retd) Hooda confirms
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who labels as ‘anti-national’ opposition parties and anyone who raises questions about armed forces, has challenged the Congress’s claim that Army had conducted surgical strikes across the Line of Control when the party was in government.
Modi accused the party of telling “lies”.
The line was taken up by former chief of Army staff and Minister of State for External Affairs General VK Singh today (Saturday, May 4) who said Congress’s claims that six surgical strikes had been carried out during the UPA tenure were false and accused the Congress of lying.
Modi on Friday challenged the Congress’s claim that it too had conducted surgical strikes+ across the Line of Control, accusing the party of telling lies.
“Pehle upeksha, fir virodh, ab me too me too (They initially rejected it, then opposed and now saying ‘me too’),” Modi said at an election rally.
He slammed the Congress for telling lies and said the party does surgical strikes only “on paper”.
This got a sharp reaction from Congress president Rahul Gandhi who launched a scathing attack on the PM for raising suspicion over the claims and asserted that he was insulting the Army.
“The Army, Air Force or Navy is not personal properties of Narendra Modi ji like he thinks. When he says that surgical strikes during UPA were done in video games then he is not insulting Congress, but the Army. These air strikes were done by the Army and we do not politicize the Army. The Prime Minister should not insult the Army,” IANS quoted Gandhi as saying.
The war of words between the two sides continued. In a tweet today, General VK Singh, who is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Ghaziabad on a BJP ticket, asked the Congress to provide proof of the surgical strikes that it claimed to have conducted between 2008 and 2014.
General VK Singh said, “Congress has a habit of lying. Will you please let me know which ‘So called Surgical Strike’ are you attributing to my tenure as COAS. Am sure you must have hired some Coupta to invent another story.”
However, Lt General (Retd) DS Hooda, who was chief architect of the 2016 surgical strikes under Modi government, said that the India Army had carried out many such strikes in the past even before the Modi government came to power. “Call it surgical strikes or call it cross border operations, said Hooda and added that he’s not aware of exact dates and areas that have been brought out.”
Hooda, who was the Northern Army Commander during the ‘surgical strike’ in September 2016, had recently prepared a comprehensive report on India’s national security after he was roped in by the grand old party to prepare it.
The sparring started after Congress leader Rajiv Shukla on Thursday, in a press conference, listed six dates on which he claimed surgical strikes were carried out.
Giving out the dates, Shukla had claimed that the first strike was conducted on June 19, 2008, in Bhattal Sector in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch. The second was conducted from August 30-September 1, 2011, in the Sharda sector across the Neelam River Valley in Kel. He said that a third surgical strike took place on January 6, 2013, at Sawan Patra Checkpost; another on July 27 and July 28, 2013, at Nazapir Sector; a fifth one on August 6, 2013 at Neelam Valley; and the sixth one on January 14, 2014.
Shukla further claimed that two surgical strikes were carried out when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the PM.
Earlier, former prime minister Manmohan Singh had also told The Hindustan Times that the Army had conducted such operations during his tenure as PM but the Congress had not stooped to seeking votes for Army action or taking political credit for it..
News media organisations have also reported some surgical strikes carried out by the Army before Modi government’s time.
Latest Politics News
Madhya Pradesh: PM Modi lays foundation stone for projects worth Rs 19,000 crore in Gwalior
PM Modi underscored that the double engine government brought Madhya Pradesh among the top 10 states in terms of development.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid foundation stones for projects worth more than Rs 19,000 crore in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh on Monday. Addressing a gathering in Gwalior, PM Modi said that their target is to ensure Madhya Pradesh emerges as one of the top three states, adding that the vote of the people of the state will help them achieve this goal.
He claimed that people who had 60 years could not bring development and always played with the sentiments of the poor and divided the society on the basis of caste. Asserting that the opposition have hatred towards growth because of their politics, PM Modi underlined that Madhya Pradesh has faith in the double engine government which means double development of the state.
He further noted that the next five years would be crucial for Madhya Pradesh’s development and that the double engine government is necessary in the state. He mentioned that nearly 2.25 lakh families will enter into their new homes before Dussehra, Dhanteras and Diwali this year in Madhya Pradesh.
The Prime Minister stated that under the government of vikas-virodhi (apparently referring to opposition), law and order collapses. He noted that beheading took place openly in Rajasthan. He asserted that in states ruled by the opposition, crime and corruption have increased.
PM Modi underscored that the double engine government brought Madhya Pradesh among the top 10 states in terms of development. In addition, he hailed that Gwalior-Chambal has given bravehearts for the security of the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi further guaranteed that India will be one of the top three economies in the world in the next few years. The Legislative Assembly election is scheduled to be carried out in Madhya Pradesh in or before November 2023. Earlier in the day, PM Modi addressed a rally in poll bound Rajasthan.
Latest Politics News
Congress left no stone unturned to loot Rajasthan: PM Modi in Chittorgarh rally
PM Modi asserted that the paper leak mafia will be held accountable and will be given harshest punishment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched a scathing attack on Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot over the infighting of Congress in the state. He slammed the state government over multiple issues, including crime against women. He claimed that the Congress government in the state has left no stone unturned to loot Rajasthan.
Addressing a public rally in Chittorgarh in poll-bound Rajasthan, PM Narendra Modi stated that the state has decided to save themselves by bringing back the BJP government. He asserted that the Congress formed the government by misleading people but could not run it, adding that CM Gehlot was busy saving his chair, whereas half of the Congress leaders were actively trying to unseat him.
The Prime Minister further claimed that CM Ashok Gehlot has accepted defeat and is requesting BJP to not stop schemes. He assured that on coming to power in Rajasthan, BJP will not stop any public scheme but will try to improve it. He also accused the Ashok Gehlot led Congress government of destroying the state in the last five years by not taking adequate steps to combat crime against women.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed that it pains him that the state tops in the crime list. He continued that he is pained when atrocities take place against daughters anywhere in the country but Congress has made this a tradition in Rajasthan. He added that the message of people of Rajasthan has reached Congress leaders and that the Chief Minister is also aware that the countdown of Congress government’s farewell has begun.
Speaking on the alleged paper leak issue, PM Modi asserted that the paper leak mafia will be held accountable and will be given harshest punishment. He noted that they will go to the bottom of the paper leak matter and actions will be taken against those who have committed corruption and looted money of the poor.
While addressing the gathering in the poll bound Rajasthan, PM Modi underlined that they are witnessing how leaders of Congress alliance are issuing derogatory remarks about women. He claimed that the alliance is very angry with the Women’s Reservation Act and that they don’t want women to get their rights.
He remarked that there is only one face in elections and that is (Kamal) lotus. The 2023 Rajasthan Legislative Assembly election is scheduled to be held in or before November.
Latest Politics News
Ramesh Bidhuri remarks row: BSP MP Danish Ali writes to PM Modi, calls for suitable punishment
Danish Ali asked PM Modi to make a public statement from his office condemning Bidhuri’s behaviour and reaffirming commitment towards maintaining the highest standards of parliamentary proceedings.
BSP MP Danish Ali who was targeted with derogatory remarks by BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri in Lok Sabha, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday seeking suitable punishment for Bidhuri. In the letter, the BSP MP also demanded enhanced security for himself.
He mentioned that the recent incident in the Lok Sabha during the special session of the Parliament was not just an attack on him as an individual but an attack on the very essence of democracy. Expressing grave concern over the incident, Danish Ali called on the Prime Minister as the Leader of the House and asked him to take note of the incident.
The BSP leader underlined that the situation has significantly worsened in the Parliament since September 21 and that it has cast a shadow over the parliamentary decorum and democratic functioning of the esteemed House of which he is privileged to be a member.
Acknowledging that PM Narendra Modi was not present during the incident, BSP MP claimed that Bidhuri used inappropriate language while referring to the Prime Minister during his address. He mentioned that he raised an objection to the use of such language in relation to the Prime Minister even if it was in a quotation.
Danish Ali further added that it was evident from the House proceedings that none of the members of the ruling party objected to his stance against the use of unparliamentary language directed to the Prime Minister. He elaborated that when he pointed out to Bidhuri’s use of unparliamentary language towards the Prime Minister, the BJP MP got rattled and reacted strongly, possibly realising his mistake.
In the letter, Ali also mentioned some of the objectionable and derogatory words that Bidhuri has used against him. In addition, Ali also said that members like BJP MP Nishikant Dubey have gone as far as to disseminate absolute falsehoods against him by claiming that he made certain remarks which provoked Bidhuri when it is clear that those remarks were made by the BJP lawmaker himself during his address.
BSP MP Danish Ali also made a series of demands to PM Modi through his letter. He asked the Prime Minister to make a public statement from his office condemning such behaviour and reaffirming the commitment towards maintaining the highest standards of parliamentary proceedings. Furthermore, he also demanded accountability to be fixed at the earliest on the reprehensible conduct of Bidhuri and called for suitable punishment.
