‘Surgical strikes’ claim creates controversy in India

The claim of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of carrying out ‘surgical strikes’ across the Line of Control (LoC) is creating controversy in India.

BJP leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday, was enraged at statements made by Chief Minister Delhi Arvind Kejriwal and former Home Minister P Chidambaram.

Arvind Kejriwal urged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to prove that surgical strikes took place across the LoC, while Chidambaram said Indian was over publisising the issue.

According to Indian media reports, Shankar questioned why Kejriwal wanted proof of surgical strikes, saying this was an insult to the Indian army.

The BJP leader also asked why Chidambaram was raising questions for the army’s capability.

Pakistan Army after firmly denying Indian claims of surgical strikes also took independent journalists to the LoC at Baghsir, 20 kilometers from Bhimber to show the situation on ground.

DG ISPR General Asim Saleem Bajwa stressed that while Pakistan had brought journalists to the LoC and was showing them the situation on ground; India was not allowing the same access to its own people, which was suspicious.

The DG stressed that choppers were on standby and if journalists wished he would fly them to any of the five stations India claims it attacked and journalists could meet the troops and even meet the population so they can see the truth for themselves.