The Central Government and the Opposition Congress on Thursday were engaged in a war of words over the Army’s Myanmar operation with the latter attacking two Union Ministers for their “boastful and jingoistic” remarks on the Indian Army while the BJP accused the Congress for unnecessarily criticising the Government and speaking Pakistan’s “language”.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and MoS Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore came under severe attack over their comments on the Indian Army’s strike in Myanmar.
While the Congress asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to counsel his Ministers to avoid “chest thumping”, BJP said Congress is a frustrated lot today after massive poll debacle.
“There should be sobriety and maturity. Jingoism and boastful claims are not going to help the operations of India’s Special Forces. I would request the Prime Minister to give them mentoring and counselling. PM should restrain his Ministers so there is no repeat,” Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma said.
Sharma’s attack came on a day when Parrikar attributed the Myanmar operation to “change in mindset” and after a tweet on the “56-inch-chest” remark by Rathore. Taking a dig at Pakistan, Parikkar said those who “fear India’s new posture” have already started reacting.
BJP said operation in Myanmar is just a beginning and there will be similar actions whenever anyone tries to play with India’s security and challenges and thus asked Congress to refrain from making “irresponsible” statements.
Reacting to Anand Sharma’s remarks, BJP National Secretary Srikant Sharma said Congress should accept the reality and not speak the language of Pakistan, as done by it in the past. “Congress is in depression ever since it lost lok Sabha elections. It is gripped with negative thoughts and criticises everything,” Shrikant said. Asking Congress not to politicise the issue, he said the Opposition party should have an introspection of its “mistakes” committed during the UPA’s 10-year rule.
The former Commerce Minister said the Prime Minister should have drawn lessons from Nepal experience when huge publicity and propaganda during the quake relief operations brought India major embarrassment. Reacting to his regular comments, Sharma said the Defence Minister (Manohar Parikkar) has “foot-in-mouth” disease and is in the “habit” of making “irresponsible” statements, said.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah termed the statements by the Ministers as an “amazing self goal”, saying Myanmar’s denial that the operation took place on its soil, had proved counter-productive. “What an amazing self goal!!! Next time you have a good covert Op, let the Op speak for itself and leave the chest thumping for the campaigns,” Omar tweeted.
“All the chest thumping did is force Myanmar to deny the Op ever took place on their soil thus proving totally counterproductive #selfgoal,” Omar added.
In the run up to general elections last year, Modi, challenging Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, had used a 56 inch reference and said, “You don’t have the guts to turn UP into Gujarat. It takes a 56-inch chest.”