Will UGC 'dare' to celebrate Nov 8 as 'surgical strike day', asks Sibal

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Friday asked whether the University Grants Commission would "dare" to celebrate November 8, the day when demonetisation was announced in 2016, as 'surgical strike day'.

His remarks came in reference to the University Grants Commission (UGC) directive on Thursday to varsities and higher educational institutions across the country to observe September 29 as 'surgical strike day'.

India had carried out surgical strikes on September 29, 2016, on seven terror launch pads across the LoC with the Army saying its special forces inflicted "significant casualties" on terrorists preparing to infiltrate from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

"UGC directs VC's of all universities to celebrate 29th September as Surgical Strike Day. Is this meant to educate or to serve BJP's political ends?" Sibal tweeted.

"Will UGC dare celebrate 8th November as Surgical Strike Day depriving the poor of their livelihoods? This another jumla!" the former Union minister said.

HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar Friday said that the UGC communication is "patriotism not politics", and it is not compulsory for institutes to organise it.

Sibal also questioned the reasons behind agreeing for the meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

"3 policemen kidnapped by terrorists in J&K (September 2018).

"India protest with Pakistani military for beheading of two soldiers in J&K (July 2018). Despite Modi's surprise birthday visit, Indo-Pak talks sidelined. Now Sushma will meet Qureshi on the sidelines of UN. Why?" he tweeted.