UPA conducted surgical strikes also, says Cong; asks govt to expose Pak

Mumbai: The Congress on Tuesday distanced itself from Mumbai state chief Sanjay Nirupam’s remarks on the surgical strikes across the LoC.

Nirupam had raised doubts over the veracity of the Army's surgical strikes along the LoC suggesting it was "fake" even as he accused BJP of indulging in politics over national interest.

"We have taken serious note of Sanjay Nirupam's statements," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala

However, he asked the BJP not to politicise the strikes, claiming that they had been conducted during UPA regime as well, but never publicised.

Congress instead asserted that the government should "call Pakistan's bluff and expose them".

Earlier on Tuesday, Nirupam tweeted, "Every Indian wants surgical strikes against Pakistan but not a fake one to extract just political benefit by BJP. politics over national interest(sic)."

Talking to reporters, Nirupam said it is upto the government to prove the surgical strikes did take place. He said his party was of the view that Pakistan should be punished.

"The way BJP was indulging in politics, putting up banners and taking credit gives a view whether such strikes did happen. In Goa, the Defence Minister (Manohar Parrikar) is being publicly felicitated. Why were earlier surgical strikes not announced in a press conference? Why was a press conference done now (by DGMO Lt Gen Ranbir Singh)?. Was there any pressure from the government?" he asked.

On Monday, Congress leader P Chidambaram had said that it is up to the government to furnish evidence of the strikes.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on the other hand demanded on Monday that the government should 'unmask the propaganda by Pakistan at international level' by providing proof of the strikes to the international polity.

Training guns at Sanjay Nirupam for dubbing the surgical strikes by the Indian Army as fake, BJP said that the grand old party members should not speak the voice of Pakistan but stand united as one nation.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said that such immature statements give Islamabad more ammunition to attack New Delhi.

"It is quite childish behaviour on part of Mr Sanjay Nirupam, who claims to be a tall leader of the Congress Party when he questions the credibility of the Indian Army by questioning the surgical strike which was conducted by the Indian Army on the launch pads of Pakistan," said Patra.

"This gives more ammunition to Pakistan to attack India. The Congress Party should not speak the voice of Pakistan, they should speak the voice and sentiments of India," he added.

Meanwhile, another BJP leader G.V.L Narsimha Rao echoing similar sentiments said it is strange that few opposition leaders want to believe the false agenda of Pakistan which has no credibility.

"At such time we should all stand untied like one nation. But few opposition leaders are wanting to stand by the false propaganda of the Pakistani leadership which has no credibility," said Rao.

Army conducted surgical strikes on seven terror launch pads along the LoC on the intervening night of September 28 and 29, inflicting "significant casualties" on terrorists preparing to infiltrate from PoK.

The next morning, the DGMO had given this information to the media in a press conference.

Pakistan, however, has been dismissing the claim as "fabrication of truth" and said India was creating "media hype" by re-branding cross-border fire as surgical strikes.