Team Herald
PANJIM: A day after national channels aired the footage of the 2016 surgical strike across Line of Control, former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has said that the opposition Congress should gracefully accept the existence of surgical strike and correct their mistake of doubting about the action of armed forces.
Speaking to media persons, Parrikar said that surgical strike was a proud moment for the nation as it was the decision which actually indicated to “our enemies that we are ready to take extreme step which are required for security of the country.”
The surgical strike was held on September 29, 2016, when Parrikar was defence minister. Congress as well as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had termed the surgical strike as fake, evoking strong response from across the nation.
“What is shown is a very small part of the actual operation. But what is important is that those people who were doubting about surgical strike…this is a right response to them….that our armed forces can carry out this type of operation successfully without any hesitation and their bravery cannot be doubted,” Parrikar said.
“Opposition should gracefully accept the existence of the exercise carried out,” Parrikar said.
One who is in denial mode and one who does not understand importance of national respect like Congress party, they will go on defending their own words of the past, without realizing that they are acting against national interest,” he added.
Talking a jibe at Congress, Chief Minister said “this is not the Congress that fought with British for independence…this is a Congress which tried to defend itself even if it is against national interest’.
“I was a Defence Minister that time and I can tell you that surgical strike had happened and it was announced by Indian armed forced themselves. And I don’t think armed forces will create something that they have not done,” he added.
The former defence minister said that the entire credit of the surgical strike goes to armed forces, whose bravery made it a success. “But, you cannot forget the political leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who made the firm decision and allowed the operation to carry out and proudly owned it,” he said adding that he was actively involved in the planning process.
Parrikar said that surgical strike gave a message to Pakistan that Indian armed forces and Indian government is ready to cross the line of control and hit the enemy, which was very important. “There have been number of cross boarder operation but they were small and part and parcel of normal operation. This was a big operation,” he stated.
