Ex-Armymen feted to mark 2nd anniversary of surgical strikes

The Maharashtra government felicitated several former Army personnel from the state Saturday to mark the second anniversary of the surgical strikes across the Line of Control.

The felicitation was held at Mantralaya, the headquarters of the state government here.

Those feted also included the widows of martyred soldiers from the state.

The BJP-led Union government is celebrating 'Parakram Parv' from September 28-30 to mark the second anniversary of the surgical strikes the forces had carried out on terror launch pads across the Line of Control in 2016.

Opposition Congress in Maharashtra criticised the event, calling it an exercise to derive political mileage.

"Reaping political benefit out of the surgical strikes carried out by the country's Armed Forces is an attempt to cover up the Union government's overall failure," said Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant.

"I would like to remind the BJP that we have achieved four major victories so far, thanks to our Armed Forces. The years were 1947, 1965, 1971 and 1999. The last one was the victory in Kargil," he said.

"Surgical strikes are not new to the Indian Army. We have carried out such strikes earlier too," he said, giving the dates of earlier such operations.

"The dates are -- January 21, 2000, September 18, 2003, June 19, 2008, August 30, 2011, January 6, 2013, July 27-28, 2013, August 6, 2013 and December 23, 2013. And the last one was two years ago," Sawant said.

The Congress leader also reminded that under Indira Gandhi's leadership, India succeeded in splitting Pakistan into two countries in the 1971 war.

"Our soldiers' valour should not be politicised," he said.

Meanwhile, in Pune, Air Force Station Lohegaon organised a 'Static Display of fighter aircraft, missile systems, specialist vehicles and weapon systems along with a flying display ofaeromodels to mark the day.

Some 2,000 persons including students visited the Air Force base Saturday, a Defence release said.