BJP slams Kejriwal, Chidambaram over comments on surgical strike

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday accused Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Congress leader P Chidambaram of playing into the hands of Pakistan.

Union minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad berated the two for having demanded evidence on the success of the Indian Army’s ‘surgical strikes’ on terror launch pads across the Line of Control.  

Prasad hit out at Kejriwal saying, “I want to ask Arvind Kejriwal whether he believes in the extraordinary valour of our Army or not in conducting surgical strike. If yes, then why are you (Arvind Kejriwal) getting influenced by the false propaganda of Pakistan?”

On Chidambaram, Prasad said: “I want to ask him (P Chidambaram), is he also joining the bandwagon of doubting the capacity of our jawans in conducting surgical strike?”

Even as questions have been raised on the surgical strike, the government is yet to make public the video footage of the cross-border attack by Indian forces. Meanwhile, Islamabad has launched its media offensive to puncture New Delhi’s claims.

In Pune, Water Resources Minister Uma Bharati said leaders who cast “doubts over the army's surgical strike should take Pakistani citizenship”.

In a televised speech on Monday, Kejriwal had “saluted” Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ordering the surgical strike but asked the PM to “unmask the Pakistani propaganda” by providing proof for the surgical strike. Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has also asked the government to share the evidence of Thursday's surgical strikes.

In Islamabad, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that country’s “quest for peace must not be mistaken as a sign of weakness”.

“Internal and external security situation of the country with particular reference to the situation on the Line of Control and operational preparedness of the armed forces were reviewed in detail during the meeting,” a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office said.