No authentication needed for surgical strikes post DGMO's statement: Ex-Army chief

Asserting that the Indian Army is totally "apolitical, secular and very pro-national," ex-Army chief Deepak Kapoor on Wednesday slammed the politicos questioning the authenticity of the surgical strikes and said it was Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Ranbir Singh who briefed the press and, therefore, there was no need to raise doubts on the statement made by the coveted officer.

Kapoor congratulated the Indian Army for the successful operation and dubbed the surgical strikes as an excellent operation.

"Indian Army is totally apolitical, secular and very pro-national. They are concerned about national security. So, when they have issued out a statement in form of their the DGMO coming out and briefing the press, I don't think anyone should have doubts about the credibility of the information that the DGMO has given out," said Kapoor.

"I would like to compliment the Indian Army for having carried out an excellent operation by the way of surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC). It was very finely planned, coordinate and executed action with the aim of causing the required amount of damage on the Pakistani side," he added.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir earlier today said the army has handed over video clips of the cross Line of Control (LoC) operation to the government as per the laid down procedure.

Ahir said there is a process for putting such issues in perspective which was duly followed by the army as well as the government.

"The laid down procedure has been followed. The DGMO briefed about the surgical strikes. It was not the Defence Minister nor the Prime Minister and not the Home Minister. It was the DGMO, who briefed the media," he said

"There was a time when written documents were submitted. Now, the times have changed. Now, the clips are given and the clips have been given," he told the media here.

The Minister of State for Home's statement came amidst the growing chorus for showing proof of the army's surgical strikes on terror launch pads in PoK.

A political slugfest over surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the LoC 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.