Charging Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal with playing politics “on an issue involving the National security”, the BJP on Tuesday accused him of being influenced by Pakistani falsehood and raising doubts about Army’s surgical strikes across line of Control.
The party asked Congress president Sonia Gandhi to bridge the yawning gap between her support to Army’s action and a contrarian stand by the party’s senior colleague and former Home Minister P Chidambaram. The BJP also lashed out another Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam for questioning the strikes.
Addressing a Press conference here, senior BJP leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the Aam Admi Party leader should answer whether he believed in the Indian Army or not.
“It was most painful and unfortunate that the AAP leader was in Pakistani media headlines today as his remarks yesterday gave it a chance to question India Army’s claim,” Prasad said, wondering why he was being swayed by Pakistani propaganda.
“The question being asked in a way raises question over the action of Indian Army. I must say that if Pakistani media is saying something, then why an India Chief Minister is being influenced and seeking proof,” he said.
Attacking Kejriwal, Prasad said at a time when the whole nation is speaking in one voice, a Chief Minister has said something that has given Pakistani media and people a chance to question India Army’s action.
India has been successful in isolating Pakistan politically and diplomatically but Kejriwal is being guided by Pakistani media reports, Prasad said.
In a televised speech Monday, Kejriwal had “saluted” Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ordering the surgical strike but also referred to some international media reports and an UN group observations, both of which appear to question its authenticity, as he asked the Prime Minister to “unmask the Pakistani propaganda”.
India, he said, had briefed ambassadors of many countries and they have taken note of the Indian Army’s operation.
Changing his gears, Prasad also trained his guns on the Congress asking its chief to clear air on her party’s official line on army’s action as Chidambaram has asked proof of surgical strike.
The Minister said the Congress leader had also maintained that “they also conducted such strikes but did not claim them.” Prasad said as Chidambaram was creating doubt about the capacity of “our forces” the Congress president must clarify her party’s official line “or stop such leaders”.
On Nirupam’s statement, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, “Please don’t do this to your own country. Politicians don’t carry out strikes. You are questioning the martyrdom of our jawans. Are you questioning the DGMO IndiaIJ Because, he came out with all the details. No party has ever questioned the Indian Army. This is the first time ever any party has questioned the credibility of the Indian Army.”