BJP chief insulted Army, says Congress

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The Congress on Friday accused the BJP of insulting the Indian Army by claiming that it didn't display courage on the LoC for the last nearly seven decades, and demanded an apology.

"BJP President Amit Shah today (Friday) insulted the Indian Army in front of the nation by saying that for 68 years, Indian Army didn't have the courage to control the Line of Control (LoC)," Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala told reporters here.

"If the army didn't try to control the LoC for 68 years, then is former Army chief Gen. Bikram Singh and other former Army Chiefs lying to the nation? Or do you want to perform final rites to the sacrifices and valour of army?" he asked.

Asking the BJP if it had forgotten the 1947, 1965, 1971 and 1999 wars, Surjewala charged the ruling party with "politicising" the Army's cross-border surgical strikes and trying to "colour the valour and sacrifice of Indian Army into its doctrine".

"Our soldiers have laid down their lives for the country, as they live and die for the tricolour," he added.

The Congress leader's remarks came after the BJP on Friday held two press conferences to criticise the Congress for defending its Vice President Rahul Gandhi over his 'Khoon Ki Dalali' remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference here, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the Congress is busy doing 'Rahul Gandhi Bhakti' (worship) and was not bothered about the interests of the country.Earlier in the day, Amit Shah attacked the Congress for its remarks about Modi.

Accusing the BJP of "white lies", Surjewala also said the BJP was "playing politics over the sacrifice of martyrs".

The Congress also played a video of Gen. Bikram Singh's interview to a news channel in which he claimed that Indian Army had carried out such surgical strikes earlier also.

"Under General Bikram Singh and the Congress government, there were multiple surgical strikes which were conducted, but we never politicised that," said Surjewala.

Hitting out at BJP leaders for holding two press conferences, he said: "BJP has proved that they are doing politics, they are using surgical strikes for political gain."

--IANS

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