'I support surgical strikes, not use of Indian Army in propaganda': Rahul Gandhi

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of hiding behind the blood of soldiers and doing "dalali" (cashing in) on their sacrifices, on Thursday insisted that he supports the surgical strikes but will not support the use of Indian Army in political posters and propaganda.

"I fully support the surgical strikes and I have said so unequivocally, but I will not support using the Indian Army in political posters and propaganda all across the country," said Gandhi in a series of tweets.

The Congress vice-president yesterday accused Prime Minister Modi of playing politics over the "blood of jawans" who sacrificed their lives in Kashmir.

Targeting the Prime Minister over the surgical strikes, Gandhi said "Jo hamare jawan hain jinhone apna khoon diya hai, Jammu and Kashmir mein khoon diya hai, jinhone Hindustan ke liye surgical strikes kiye hain, unke khoon ke peeche aap chhupe hain. Unki aap dalali kar rahe ho. Yeh bilkul galat hai . (You [Modi] are hiding behind the blood of soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir and those who carried out the surgical strikes for India. You are exploiting their sacrifices, which is very wrong)."

Concluding his 'Kisan Yatra' at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, Gandhi called upon the Prime Minister to work for the development of people, especially farmers and army men.

"Help the farmers give the army a hike in the seventh pay commission, it is your responsibility and that is what you have been elected for," said Gandhi.

A political slugfest over the surgical strikes broke out on Tuesday with Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam calling it "fake" and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asking the government to release the proof of the surgical strikes to counter the Pakistani propaganda against the operation.

The ruling BJP at the Centre, however, lashed out at the opposition for demeaning the morale of the armed forces by demanding proof of the predawn September 29 surgical strikes.