Unwarranted hype around surgical strike, says Lt General DS Hooda

Lt. Gen. DS Hooda (retd) on Friday said that the constant hype around surgical strike was 'unwarranted', news agency ANI reported. Gen Hooda was the Northern Army commander when the surgical strikes were carried out on September 29, 2016. General Hooda was speaking during a panel discussion on the topic, 'Role of Cross-Border Operations and Surgical Strikes,' on the first day of Military Literature Festival 2018 in Chandigarh. The discussion was attended by Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore along with other former Generals and Army Commanders.

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"I do think there was too much hype over the surgical strike. It was important and we had to do it. Now how much should it have been politicised, whether it was right or wrong is something that should be asked to the politicians,” he said.

General (retired) D S Hooda: I do think there was too much hype over it (surgical strike). The strike was important & we had to do it. Now how much should it have been politicised, whether it was right or wrong is something that should be asked to the politicians. (7.12) pic.twitter.com/8v0QJ1tzK5

— ANI (@ANI) December 8, 2018

"It isn’t good to have political dissonance in military matters and all parties need to come together on a common platform at least in the strategic arena. In this case, there was too much political banter on both sides,” he said. 

"The trend of politicians questioning the Army at public forums is the biggest threat to military operations and needs to be guarded against,” former Army Chief Gen VP Malik (retd) remarked. 

"The excessive publicity of the September 2016 strikes, which had in fact been a retaliatory strike conducted after the Pathankot and Uri attacks, had set a dangerous benchmark for the Indian political dispensation, which they would find difficult to maintain in the eventuality of future terror attacks,” said Defence commentator Colonel (retd) Ajai Shukla.

Nearly 10 days after the Uri attack that claimed 18 jawans, India carried out surgical strikes in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, inflicting heavy casualties on terrorists and indicating a change of stand on the rules of engagement on the disputed line of control.