Former Army chiefs against release of surgical strikes video

New Delhi: A debate raged on Wednesday over whether government should release evidence of the Army’s surgical strikes across the LoC with BJP leader Subramanian Swamy favouring release of an edited version of the video on the strike while most experts spoke against it.

Rejecting the demand, the BJP attacked some Congress leaders and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal for raising questions over the strikes and accused them of giving a handle to Pakistan to advance its false propaganda.

The Congress, on its part, insisted that it never questioned the authenticity of the strikes but steered clear of the demand — including from within its own ranks — for the release of evidence, saying it is ready to give appropriate advice in the best interest of national security, if consulted by the government.

Mr Swamy, a Rajya Sabha member, said anybody questioning the operation should prove prima facie evidence to support his allegation but added that a video should be released following a newspaper report on Wednesday that gave details of the operation.

“I think they should edit the logistics part of the video and show the other part, showing explosions, the dead body... they have got in the video. So all these parts can be released,” Mr Swamy said.

He, however, added that the bluff of those questioning the Army’s claim should be called by not responding to them. A large number of countries, including Russia, have congratulated India on these strikes, he said.

Former army chief Gen V.P. Malik slammed those questioning the credibility of the strikes saying, “The video should not be released just because some stupid people have sought so.”

He said it was “utter nonsense” that people are asking the Army to prove the authenticity of the operation. “Only the Army should take a call on whether to release the video or not and when,” he said. Another former army chief Gen J.J. Singh also joined Mr Malik in criticising such voices and said when armed forces make a claim ‘there should be no doubt’. “Very proud of our para commandos and the mission they have done. Anybody, who think the Army has to prove their worth, is living in a fool’s paradise. We should never believe what the Pakistani media is trotting out,” he said. Yet another former army chief Gen. Shankar Roy Choudhary also spoke out against the release of the video saying the country’s secrets should not be put in the open. He added that Pakistan was looking for an opportunity to gain from any such release.

BJP spokesperson G.V.L. Narasimha Rao said, “When the whole world has stopped believing Pakistan, we have the Congress questioning the strike and giving a handle to Pakistan to advance its false propaganda.”