Army Gen who oversaw surgical strike submits national security blueprint to Rahul Gandhi

The Congress had set up a task force under Lt General (Retd) DS Hooda in February to devise party’s draft policy on national security.

lok-sabha-elections Updated: Mar 31, 2019 17:29 IST

HT Correspondent

Hindustan Times, New Delhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday tweeted that a task force set up to prepare a draft national security policy has submitted its report.(Photo: Twitter/@RahulGandhi)

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday tweeted that a blueprint of what may form the Congress’s policy for national security is ready. A team of experts led by Lt General (Retd) DS Hooda, who oversaw 2016 surgical strike across the Line of Control in the aftermath of the Uri terror attack, has prepared the document.

“Lt. General (Retd.) DS Hooda & his team have put together a comprehensive report on India’s National Security that he presented to me today. This exhaustive report will at first be discussed & debated within the Congress party,” Gandhi wrote on Twitter.

This comes days ahead of the first phase of voting for the Lok Sabha elections on April 11. The issue of national security has been a bone of contention between the Narendra Modi government and the Opposition with each side accusing the other of compromising it.

The Opposition has singled out major terrorist attacks including those at Pathankot, Uri and Pulwama to target the Modi government. The BJP-led ruling coalition has accused the Congress and other Opposition parties of going soft on anti-national forces.

Also Read | Jaitley tips his hat to Gen Hooda and then takes a swipe at Congress

The issue is being debated in the election campaign with both the BJP and the Congress claiming to be better at according top priority to national security. The BJP has claimed that he doctrine of national security has been evolved under the Modi government. The party has cited the surgical strike and recent Balakot air strike to boost its claim.

Meanwhile, the Congress roped in former chief of the army’s northern command Lt Gen DS Hooda (retired) to head a task force on national security. Lt Gen Hooda was the main architect of the surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army on September 29, 2016.

Special commandos of the Indian Army targeted terror launch pads across the LoC days after terrorists attacked army base at Uri. Nineteen jawans were killed in the terror attack.

First Published: Mar 31, 2019 15:36 IST