Did not find any evidence of surgical strikes during Congress era: PM Narendra Modi
New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi has slammed Congress by refuting its claims of conducting surgical strikes during its tenure; PM Modi said that the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government did not launch any surgical strikes as claimed by the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in an interview with Hindustan Times last week.
He said that army chiefs in charge at that time have confirmed that they do not have any information regarding any such strikes. "What kind of surgical strike was it? Who issued the orders? Where are the orders? These are the questions they [UPA] should be asked to answer,” he said. “I can only say that we have not found any records of this".
The Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government launched a counterstrike against terror pods across the Line of Control after the Uri terror attack in 2016, and an air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) training camp at Balakot in Pakistan after the Pulwama terror attack in February.
Talking to Hindustan Times last week, former PM Manmohan Singh claimed that his government had also carried out similar surgical strikes, but not used them to garner votes.
Bharatiya Janata Party had been focusing majorly on the security of the nation while campaigning in the Lok Sabha Election 2019. "For a decade or so, the Indian government had tied its own hands as far as Pakistan-backed terror was concerned. Pakistan kept mounting attacks and there was no cost imposed upon the perpetrators. This gave terrorists and their sponsors a kind of impunity that we can do anything and get away. First with the surgical strike and now with the air strike, we have sent the message that there will now be significant costs to sponsoring terror," Modi said.
He denied that this would only escalate matters. “They will be aware that their strategy of sponsoring terror against India will be detrimental to their own existence”, nor does this put pressure on the government to up the ante the next time there is an attack, he said. “So out of fear of that pressure, we should do nothing?” he asked.
He also explained why he feels that the election this year is special. "The 2019 elections are special because this is the first time those born in the 21st century are voting,” and these people “are not burdened by the past but are in pursuit of a better future,” Modi said.
