Rupani mocks Cong over claim of six surgical strikes

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani Saturday accused the Congress of doing a U-turn on the issue of surgical strikes, saying the party which earlier sought proof from the Modi government, was now claiming that six such operations were carried out during the UPA rule.

He claimed that people came to know about the phrase 'surgical strike' thanks to the Modi government.

The chief minister also said that Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have become the butt of jokes on social media.

"Congress, which was seeking a proof of air strike and surgical strike, had to say yesterday that it had conducted surgical strike six times. It means looking at the mood, enthusiasm and patriotism of people, you have made a U-turn. You would ask for proof earlier, but now you accept that it has happened. Now you say we (UPA) also conducted it," Rupani told reporters in Gandhinagar.

"It means you have quietly accepted that there was a surgical strike (under the Modi government)...The truth is that the people of the country learnt about the word 'surgical strike' from Modi government, which conducted the operations in response to the terror attacks in Pulwama and Uri. People were not even aware of the word till then. And India made it possible," he said.

The Congress had Friday stated that it conducted six surgical strikes between June 2008 and January 2014.

On the controversy surrounding the electronic voting machines (EVMs), he said, "Congress is blaming the Election Commission. It will start blaming the EVMs. These machines worked fine in three state elections (where Congress won), but they will be called faulty when it is defeated."