Shiv Sena slammed Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government in the Centre, for allegedly playing politics over the 2016 surgical strike, in the latest editorial of its mouthpiece Saamana.
The article titled 'Re-surgical Strike, Why?' rips through Army Chief Bipin Rawat's statement to a news channel that India may soon hit Pakistan with another surgical strike by claiming that the real motive of such strikes was to create conducive environment for political wins in the upcoming polls.
"If you want to create conducive political environment for the upcoming polls, then go ahead with five or 10 surgical strikes or even a mini-war with Pakistan. All this will achieve is martyrdom for our soldiers, but Pakistan will not learn the lesson this way," the article said.
The editorial attacked Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for 'being stuck in the role of party spokesperson'. It alleged that Sitharaman was so busy in justifying Rafale deal before the public and press that Army Chief had to respond to Pakistan's warnings.
The party, through its mouthpiece, challenged BJP to prove its claims of 56-inch chests by taking tougher action against Pakistan.
"Two years ago there was a surgical strike to teach Pakistan a lesson. BJP used the surgical strike's success to win the Uttar Pradesh elections. But did Pakistan learn any lesson?," it asked.
Citing the death of Lance Naik Sandeep Singh, who was part of the 2016 Surgical Strike team, at the LoC a day before the strike's second anniversary, the Saamana editorial raised concerns over continuous deaths of Indian soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir.
"The soldiers are being killed, their families are being rendered helpless. Soldiers are happy to follow orders and kill Pakistanis in their own home. But sounding sirens of surgical strike to win political gains is a disrespect to our soldiers," the editorial said.
