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In a veiled warning to Pakistan, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said India is getting more powerful and if the need arises, it can hit on this side of the border and also by going across. Addressing a security conclave at the University of Jammu, he asserted that the country has taken major action against terrorism under the Modi government and referred to the surgical strikes carried out across the border in 2016 and the Balakot air strike in 2019. Bharat ab pehle jaisa Bharat nahi raha. Bharat takatwar banta jaa raha hai. Zaroorat padi to Bharat seema ke iss par bhi maar sakta hai aur zaroorat padi toh uss paar bhi jaa sakta hai (India is not the same as it used to be. It is getting more powerful. If needed, India can hit on this side of the border and can go across the border as well," the defence minister said. "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our government started effective action against terrorism and for the first time not only the country but
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Lt Gen (retd) D S Hooda's remarks that it would have been better if the 2016 surgical strikes were carried out secretly, alleging that the PM used the military action for "political capital". Lt Gen (retd) Hooda, responding to a question during the Military Literature Festival in Chandigarh on Friday, had said in hindsight, it would have been better had "we done it (surgical strikes) secretly". Taking to Twitter, Gandhi said: "Spoken like a true soldier General. India is so proud of you. Mr 36 has absolutely no shame in using our military as a personal asset. "He used the surgical strikes for political capital and the Rafale deal to increase Anil Ambani's real capital by 30,000 Cr. #SurgicalStrike (sic)." Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala thanked Lt Gen (retd) Hooda for "exposing the petty politicisation by PM Modi". "No one can use the valour & sacrifice of our brave soldiers to