Rahul Gandhi in Udaipur. (Photo/@INCIndia)
Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using Surgical Strike for gaining political mileage, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday claimed that former PM Manmohan Singh had approved such military actions on three occasions. Interacting with professionals as part of his election campaigning in Rajasthan's Udaipur, Rahul Gandhi said PM Modi turned a 'military asset' into a 'political asset' to win elections in Uttar Pradesh.
"Do you know that like Mr Narendra Modi's surgical strike, Manmohan Singh ji did that 3 times? When Army came to Mr Manmohan Singh and said we need to retaliate against Pakistan for what they've done they also said we wanted to be secret, for our own purposes," Rahul Gandhi said.
"Mr Narendra Modi actually reached into Army's domain and shaped their surgical strike, he turned their surgical strike into a political asset when it actually was a military decision. What the Army would have liked was we'll do it, it's beneficial if nobody knows we did it. But Mr Modi didn't want that. He was fighting an election in UP and he was losing it. So he did it to turn a military asset into a political asset," he added.
He also claimed that non-performing assets (NPA) of banks was Rs 2 lakh crore during UPA rule and it rose to Rs 12 lakh crore during the BJP government at the Centre.
"The government waived loans of 15 to 20 industrialists. Banking system is concentrated only for them. NPA is not of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, traders, doctors or lawyers," Rahul Gandhi said.
Watch: PM Modi says he's Hindu, but he doesn't understand Hinduism: Rahul Gandhi in Udaipur
Rahul insulting martyred soldiers: Amit Shah
Responding to Rahul Gandhi's charge, BJP chief Amit Shah said that the Congress president was insulting slain Army soldiers by claiming that the 2016 surgical strike across the LoC was conducted to win the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
He said that today Army jawans have developed a sense of pride that their government is standing behind them rock solid.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi took revenge for Army martyrs. Rahul Gandhi is saying that surgical strike was conducted to win Uttar Pradesh election. You insult the martyrs of the country. You could not even show some courage," Amit Shah said at a public meeting in Phalodi town of Jodhpur district in Rajasthan.
The Congress has often accused the Narendra Modi-led BJP government of using the 2016 Surgical Strike for political gains. The BJP, on the other hand, has consistently slammed the Congress for disrespecting the valour and bravery of armed forces.
BJP president Amit Shah had said in Rajya Sabha that Surgical Strike was a historic moment and the "world started seeing India from a different view" after the commando operation conducted inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
“They (world) realised that after America and Israel, India is the only country which can protect its soldiers and Army,” Amit Shah had said.
