‘No proof’: Digvijaya Singh questions 2016 surgical strike; BJP hits back
Addressing a public meeting in Jammu, Digvijaya Singh said the Centre was yet to place a report on the 2016 surgical strike or the 2019 Pulwama terror attack before Parliament.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday hit out at senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh for questioning the 2016 surgical strike and alleged that he “echoes Pakistan's narrative” on the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed in 2019.
Addressing a public meeting in Jammu during the Congress Bharat Jodo Yatra, Singh said the Centre was yet to place a report on the 2016 surgical strike or the 2019 Pulwama terror attack before Parliament, adding that the government of spreading lies.
"Forty of our CRPF jawans were martyred in Pulwama. CRPF officials had requested the prime minister that personnel should be airlifted, but PM Modi didn't agree. How did such a lapse take place? Till date, no report on Pulwama was placed before Parliament," Singh can be heard in videos that surfaced on social media.
"They (the government) claimed a surgical strike was carried out but didn't show proof. They only spread lies," the Congress leader said.
Hitting back, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla, tweeted, “Once again Congress questions Surgical Strike & echoes Pak narrative on Pulwama. Digvijaya Singh had even blamed India for 26/11 ; Rahul G said Sena ki Pitai ho gayi. This Is not INC but PPP- Pak Parast Party that loves to do attack on manobal of our forces ! Shameful.”
Another BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia alleged that it's the character of the Congress to make irresponsible statements. “The country will not tolerate anyone speaking against our security forces. Due to their hate towards PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi and Digvijaya Singh don't have patriotism left in them now,” news agency ANI quoted Bhatia as saying.
Earlier on Monday, Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra received a warm welcome as it entered Jammu from the adjoining Samba district with authorities further strengthening the security cordon around him.
The yatra started from Samba's Vijaypur along the Jammu-Pathankot highway at around 7am Monday and was received by a massive crowd as it crossed Bari Brahmana in Jammu's Parmandal.
Earlier, officials said all necessary arrangements were in place for the yatra, which started from Kanyakumari on September 7 and is scheduled to culminate in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir summer capital, on January 30. Gandhi is scheduled to hoist the national flag at his party headquarters at a mega rally to mark the culmination of the march.
