 "Narendra Modi")
Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s advisory to his ministerial colleagues and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders that they refrain from chest-thumping about the Indian Army’s surgical strikes on terrorists in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, these strikes were again celebrated at party meeting in Uttar Pradesh.
Amid criticism that the government was using for political mileage the strikes, conducted on the night intervening September 28 and 29, the prime minister had on Wednesday said only those authorised to make statements on the matter should do so.
Celebration of surgical strikes
During BJP’s meetings in Agra and Lucknow, according to the Indian Express, partymen celebrated the surgical strikes and issued threats that India could hit Pakistan with nuclear weapons, too.
Further, the report added that Uttar Pradesh BJP President Keshav Prasad Maurya said Pakistan should “mend its ways” or India would hoist the “Tricolour in Islamabad”.
Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was also present at these meetings, the daily reported. However, Parrikar said the sanctity of his office did not allow him to divulge too many details about the surgical strikes.
“125 crore ki janata ko Bharat ki sena par poorna vishwas hai aur Pakistan ko batana chahte hain ki jo Tiranga Kashmir aur Delhi me feher raha hai, agar Pakistan apney harkat se baaj nahin aaya toh hamari sena yeh Tiranga Islamabad mein bhi fehra degi (The 125 crore citizens of India have complete faith in their army and we want to tell Pakistan that if it does not stop its activities, the Tricolour that flies in Kashmir and Delhi will also be hoisted in Islamabad),” the Indian Express quoted Maurya as saying.
Another party leader, BJP MLA Keshav Mehra, was quoted by the daily as saying: “Pakistan baar baar atom bomb ki dhamki deta hai, agar humne atom bomb chala diya toh uska bhugol se naamo nishan mit jayega” (Pakistan keeps threatening us with an atom bomb. If we also hit them with one, they will be wiped off the map)."
Other party members reportedly gave their own numbers for terrorists killed during the surgical strikes.
BJP leader from Agra Ashwini Vashisth, according to the report, said: “The number of those who died in the surgical strike was more than 200. Ab agar Pakistan ne humla kiya, toh uska naamo-nishan mita denge (Now if Pakistan attacks, it will be wiped off).”
Parrikar was quoted in the report as saying that by felicitating him, the BJP had honoured the Indian Army. Parrikar added, "... We achieved 100 per cent success with no loss of life.”
Rahul Gandhi hits out at Modi with ‘Dalali’ barb
In a scathing attack on the prime minister on Thursday, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi had said Modi was playing politics over the blood of soldiers who had sacrificed their lives in Jammu & Kashmir.
“You are hiding behind the blood of the soldiers... aap khoon ki dalali kar rahe ho... they (the soldiers) have done their job, you do yours,” Rahul said hours after Parrikar spoke about the recent surgical strikes on terrorist camps across the Line of Control at a rally in poll-bound UP.
Amid backlash, Rahul Gandhi’s office on Friday tweeted: "I fully support the surgical strikes and I have said so unequivocally, but I will not support using the Indian Army in political posters and propaganda all across the country."
Earlier, a day after the government announced the successful surgical strikes, Gandhi had come out in rare praise for the prime minister. Expressing his support for the Centre's move of carrying out a surgical strike across the LoC on terror launch pads, Gandhi had on Friday asserted that this was the first step by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in years that was worthy of his stature.
"I want to thank Modi ji. This is the first step he has taken in two and a half years, worthy of a prime minister. My party and I stand with him, as what he has done is right," Rahul had said during a rally in Bulandshahr, UP.
"The Congress party and the entire India stands with this decision of the Prime Minister," Gandhi had tweeted later in the day.
Modi finds unexpected ally in Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday spoke out against the Congress vice-president over his 'dalali' remarks and urged political parties to cast aside their differences and rally behind the prime minister.
"Our soldiers valiantly carried out surgical strikes and demolished terror addresses. I have previously done so and want to congratulate the army once again for this. I strongly criticise Rahul Gandhi's remarks wherein he said army's sacrifices and bravery was 'khoon ki dalali'," Kejriwal said.
Earlier, Kejriwal had himself been in the centre of controversy when he had asked the prime minister to "expose" Pakistan's propaganda on surgical strikes.
After the BJP came out against his remarks and said that the Delhi chief minister was supporting Pakistan's propaganda against India, Kejriwal had tweeted: "BJP, I m convinced that strikes took place. But intl media publishing Pak propaganda that no strike took place. Let's expose Pak propaganda."
