After the footage of Indian Army's surgical strike from September 2016 was released on 28 June, the Congress accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using the counter-terror operation as a political tool to garner votes.
“Blood and sacrifice of brave soldiers cannot become political vote garnering tool for Modi government,” Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said at a press conference on 28 June.
Surjewala further said: “It is the soldiers who sacrifice their lives and it is Modi ji who was glorified.”
Responding to the Congress’ accusations, BJP leader and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad addressed a press conference saying that “Rahul Gandhi was insulting the country’s forces”.
At Congress’ press conference, Surjewala added that the Indian Army has been making sacrifices for decades, and that BJP politicising the bravery of the soldiers is condemnable.
The Modi government is exploiting the slogan of ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’. Former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee never used the army’s valour to garner votes.Randeep Surjewala, Spokesperson, Congress
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who was the Defence Minister during the surgical strikes, confirmed that the video was authentic but only a small part of was shown on TV channels.
We have to congratulate the armed forces for successfully carrying out surgical strike in 2016. It was possible because we have a very firm leadership.Manohar Parrikar, Goa Chief Minister
Video footage of the surgical strike by the Indian Army on terror camps across the LoC surfaced recently and TV channels broadcast it on 28 June.
The strike was carried out days after 17 Army personnel were killed by terrorists in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Uri.
Video Editor: Vishal Kumar
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