New Delhi: Congress on Tuesday dissociated itself from its leader Sanjay Nirupam's remarks on surgical strikes, saying it has full faith in the armed forces even as it asked the government to use "all information and evidence" at its disposal to call "Pakistan's bluff" and expose its false propaganda.
The party said it has taken serious note of Nirupam's remarks calling the surgical strike "fake", signalling trouble for the Mumbai Congress chief. It also claimed that similar surgical strikes had been undertaken in the past too but the information had not been made public in interest of national security.
Party's chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala, however, steered clear of questions whether Nirupam and Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh who had also raised some doubts over the action of the armed forces, would be served show cause notices.
"Indian National Congress disagrees completely from the statement of Sanjay Nirupam. It has taken a serious note", Surjewala said insisting that the party has "full faith" in the bravehearts of Indian armed forces.
Nirupam had tweeted that "every Indian wants surgical strikes against Pakistan but not a fake one to extract just political benefit by BJP. politics over national interest(sic)."
Nirupam had later told reporters in Mumbai that it is up to the government to prove the surgical strikes did take place.
Surjewala noted that party chief Sonia Gandhi has unequivocally supported Indian armed forces and the government on the issue of surgical strikes against terrorists in Pakistan as also in taking all steps for demolishing terror infrastructure against India.
"We reaffirm the same," he said. Insisting that there never has been a reason to raise a question or doubt on the statements by the DGMO on surgical strikes, he, however, said that government needs to "call the Pakistani bluff and false propaganda" on the issue.
This, he said, should be done by the government using "all information, evidence and instruments at the disposal of Indian state".
"We are proud that even in the past our forces have successfully conducted such surgical strikes on numerous occasions," the Congress spokesperson said.
He said that forces had taken such action on September 1, 2011, July 28, 2013 and January 14, 2014 while "giving befitting reply to the enemy".
"In its maturity, wisdom and in the interest of national security, Congress government avoided making loud claim for the effective response and action of Indian Army, which had the full support of political leadership", he said in the backdrop of BJP projecting the strikes as symbol of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "strong" leadership.
A political slugfest on Tuesday erupted over India's surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the LoC with Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam calling it "fake", provoking stinging criticism from BJP even as his own party said it "totally dissociates" from his remarks.
"Every Indian wants surgical strikes against Pakistan but not a fake one to extract just political benefit by BJP. politics over national interest(sic)," Nirupam tweeted, kicking up a row over the emotive issue.
The Congress leader went on to demand "some evidence" to prove the surgical strikes did take place and accused the Centre's ruling BJP of indulging in politics over the issue.
With patriotic sentiments running high amid soaring tensions with Pakistan, Union Minister Uma Bharti said leaders who cast "doubt over the army's surgical strike should take Pakistani citizenship".
"Those leaders who say that if Pakistan is demanding evidence about surgical strike, they should be given the evidence, such people should take the citizenship of Pakistan," Bharti told reporters in Pune.
The Congress had yesterday asked the government to put forth "credible" evidence of last week's surgical strikes, carried out by the Army across the LoC, to "expose" Pakistan which has denied any such action.
Congress senior spokesman Anand Sharma had also sought to dismiss the claim that the surgical strikes on terrorist launch pads was the first such retaliation by the Indian Army, insisting that it had responded earlier too "as per the need or provocation".
"Around a week ago when the DGMO on behalf of the government announced that a surgical strike has been carried out against the Pak terror camps in PoK, we all supported. Honourable Sonia Gandhi supported, Rahul Gandhi supported, even I personally supported it.
But the way BJP has put banners all over the country, the way surgical strike is being politicised, used for political benefit and simultaneously from all over the world questions are being raised on the reality of the surgical strike, we have the questions to ask the government," he said. Nirupam said the government will "have to come with some evidence" without compromising national security to give reply to the whole world.
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 GVL 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.
