Congress slams Parrikar, says stop 'blatant politicization'

Lambasting Manohar Parrikar for giving credit of the surgical strikes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress Party in an apparent reference to the 2011 Operation Ginger alleged that the Defence Minister was misleading the nation and undermining the Indian Army's sacrifices by denying the earlier surgical strikes.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala in a series of tweets alleged that Parrikar's remark was 'blatant politicization' on part of the BJP-led NDA regime in the run up to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls scheduled next year.

"Mr Parrikar,Indian Army deserves all credit but why mislead the people & undermine Army's sacrifices by denying earlier SurgicalStrikes?" tweeted Surjewala.

"#OperationGinger in 2011 was a large- scale #SurgicalStrike.Why is @manoharparrikar quiet on army's valour?Is not blatant politicization?" he said.

Stating if the army deserves full credit, Surjewala asked as to why are "Avengers of Uri" posters depicting Prime Minister Modi as Lord Rama being plastered in poll-bound states.

"Is ModiGovt giving credit to Army by denying OROP, Seventh Pay Commission recommendations,by refusing to acknowledge & honor commitments?" Surjewala tweeted.

"RSS and Amit Shah have publicly stated that #SurgicalStrike will be their key electoral strategy. Forked tongue, Mr Parrikar?

Def Min Parrikar credits army for #SurgicalStrike,no wonder he got himself felicitated in Agra,Lucknow & Goa instead of our brave army," he said in a series of tweets.

The Defence Minister earlier in the day said that he would only share the credit of the surgical strikes conducted by the Indian Army with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and added that the major share of the success goes to the latter for apt decision making and planning.

"I will only share the credit, major share goes to the Prime Minister. This should settle the nerves of many people," he said at an event in Mumbai.