'First they mocked, then protested, now me too': PM mocks Congress’ claim of ‘six surgical strikes’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday mocked Congress’ claim of six ‘surgical strikes’ being carried out under the erstwhile UPA regime, saying that the Grand Old Party is trying to prove that surgical strikes were also conducted during its term.

“Yesterday, a senior Congress leader claimed that several surgical strikes were carried out in UPA regime. First they mocked ,then protested and now they say 'me too me too', they are trying to prove surgical strikes were also conducted during its term. They have come out will dates of surgical strikes,” said PM Modi while addressing a rally in Rajasthan’s Sikar.

“What kind of strike was this that neither the terrorists know about it now those who carried them out, neither Pakistan knows about it nor the people of nation,” he added.

Only Congress can carry out surgical strikes on paper sitting in AC rooms. First, they said they carried out three surgical strikes, yesterday they said they conducted six surgical strikes. In next few days, they will say they carried out surgical strikes daily, the PM said.

He accused the Congress of telling "lies" and said the party does surgical strikes only "on paper".

A Congress leader had said four months back that three surgical strikes were conducted during Congress' term and now another leader is saying six surgical strikes were carried out by the party, Modi said.

"The number increased from three to six in four months. By the time elections are over, this number would increase to 600. What does it matter when the strike is on paper! Congress only speaks lies," he said.?

Taking a dig at the Congress, Modi said, "I think such leaders play video games and perhaps enjoy surgical strikes thinking it of some game," he said.

He alleged that Congress leaders call the Indian Army chief a 'gunda' and the IAF chief a 'lier'. They do not trust valour of our jawans and raise doubts on terrorist casualties, he said.

"Do they intend to send 'chadars' to bury the terrorist? (Kya inka dafan karene ka congress ki tafar se chdar behjne ka irada hai kya)," he asked.

The Congress on Thursday came out with a list of six anti-terror surgical strikes carried out during UPA rule, asserting that it never tried to take political advantage from military operations.

The Congress released the list at a press conference after BJP leader Arun Jaitley took a jibe at the opposition party, saying its surgical strikes were "invisible and unknown".

The UPA government carried out six surgical strikes -- Bhattal sector in Poonch (June 19, 2008); Sharda sector, across Neelam River Valley, in Kel (August 30-September 1, 2011); Sawan Patra checkpost (January 6, 2013); Nazapir sector (July 27-28, 2013); Neelam Valley (August 6, 2013); and one on December 23, 2013, Congress spokesperson Rajeev Shukla said. 

He also listed two surgical strikes carried out under the previous BJP-led NDA government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. These were Nadala Enclave, across the Neelam River (January 21, 2000) and Baroh sector in Poonch (September 18, 2003), Shukla said.

The BJP said the Congress' claim of surgical strikes was "fraudulent and farcical", alleging that the grand old party was "guilty" of not allowing the punitive action against terrorists.

"It is a farcical and fraudulent claim. We have the greatest of respect for our armed forces. Our forces were capable of carrying out surgical strikes across the LoC, inside Pakistan, but they were not allowed to do so when the UPA was in power," BJP national spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said.

The Congress has accused PM Modi and the BJP of trying to political mileage by taking credit of the 2016 surgical strike and the air strike carried out in Pakistan's Balasore in February this year.