Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar said on Thursday that though the previous UPA Government carried out four “surgical strikes” along the line of Control (loC), it never publicised the military action nor was there any trumpeting on its part as being indulged in by the current NDA Government after the military action in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK).
Addressing a party workers’ rally at Nagpur, Pawar expressed displeasure over the manner in which the BJP leaders were trying to trumpet the “surgical strikes” undertaken by the Indian Army on terror bases in PoK. “When Dr Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister, Praful Patel and I were in his Cabinet. There were four occasions when our Army crossed the loC and destroyed the terror bases. On one occasion, our Army even destroyed the bases of Naga rebels. But, we never published the military action nor did we indulge in trumpeting,” Pawar said.
lamenting that the current BJP lacked prudence, Pawar said: “Some BJP leaders have gone to extent of trying to seek an impression it was they who carried out surgical strikes”
Alluding to the “surgical strikes” undertaken in the aftermath of a major terror attack on an attack on an Indian Army brigade headquarters at Uri near on the loC in Jammu and Kashmir on September 18, the NCP chief said: “The Uri attack came as a major jolt for all of us. The attack generated anger in the country and the people rooted for avenging the attack. There was a dire for the Indian government to give a befitting reply to Pakistan. The Indian Army undertook surgical strikes on terror bases in PoK. Keeping aside politics, all of us announced our support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his decision to undertake the strikes… Russia also supported the military action undertaken by India. But, what upsets a person like me that why did the Government publicise the surgical strikes. There was no need for India to indulge in fanfare or trumpeting.”
Referring to the clamour for scrapping of “misused” SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act being whipped by the agitating Maratha community members, Pawar5 said: “Apart from seeking reservation in education and government, Marathas are also demanding the scrapping of SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. But, I feel that there is no need to scrap the legislation. We should take steps to ensure that the legislation is not misused”.
Taking a dig at Chief Minsiter Devendra Fadnavis for his remarks on the ongoing Maratha agitation, Pawar said: “The chief minister says that the rallies being taken out by the Marathas are protests being staged by the displaced against the establishment. let him realise that the displaced are not holding any office today and they cannot take up any positions during the next five years. The farmers are getting displaced because of the huge crop losses and it is they who have undertaken the agitation. The chief minister should pay attention to their grievances”.
“If the people had confidence in the government, they would not have taken to streets. Whenever or wherever there is trust deficit, the people take to streets. During the last two years, people have realised that they have erred in electing this government. They know that this government will not solve their problems. That’s why they taken to streets”.
On the Marathas’ demand for reservations, Pawar said: “The prevalent perception among people is that we cannot have more 50 per cent of reservations. look at what is the situation in Tamil Nadu where reservations are far more than 50 per cent. The state government should confabulate with the Centre on the issue of increasing the reservation percentage”.
Pawar also came down heavily on the BJP-led saffron alliance government for the delay in acting against the accused behind the rape and murder of a 14-year-old Maratha girl at Kopardi in Ahmednagar district in July this year. “The chief minister had said that chargetsheet would be filed in the case within one month. Three months have passed since the incident, but the police have not filed a charge-sheet against the accused in the Kopardi rape and murder case,” the NCP chief said.