Four days before the Bharat Jodo Yatra will enter Kashmir Valley after covering Jammu province, outspoken Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Digvijaya Singh stoked another controversy by questioning the 2016 surgical strike against Pakistan.
Addressing a rally on the concluding day of the 129th day of the Bharat Jodo Yatra at Satwari Chowk in Jammu city, Digvijay, who is known for stoking controversies, said that there is no proof of the surgical strike.
He said that while the BJP government at the Centre claims to have carried out a surgical strike against Pakistan, there was no proof of the same.
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Monday said that while the BJP government at the Centre claims to have carried out the surgical strike against Pakistan, there was no proof of the same.
"The Centre is ruling with the help of lies. I want to tell you that this country belongs to all of us," added the Madhya Pradesh former Chief Minister.
Cong quicks to distance from Digvijay Singh's utterance
As Digvijay Singh's speech during the Bharat Jodo Yatra erupted a controversy Congress was quick to react and the party distanced itself from his viewpoint.
The Congress distanced itself from the comments made by its senior leader Digvijaya Singh on the 2016 surgical strikes and said the views expressed by him "are his own" and "do not reflect the position" of the party.
"The views expressed by senior leader Digvijaya Singh are his own and do not reflect the position of Congress. Surgical strikes were carried out before 2014 by the UPA government. Congress has supported and will continue to support all military actions that are in the national interest," AICC communication incharge Jairam Ramesh tweeted.
The views expressed by senior leader Digvijaya Singh are his own and do not reflect the position of Congress. Surgical strikes were carried out before 2014 by UPA government. Congress has supported & will continue to support all military actions that are in the national interest.
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) January 23, 2023
Also targeted the BJP government over the Pulwama terror attack
Days after National Conference leader and uncle of former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Dr. Mustafa Kamal raised the question about the Pulwama terror attack, Congress stalwart Digvijaya Singh also targeted the BJP government for the killing of over 40 jawans of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in February 2019 attack.
He said that the 2019 terror attack could have been averted had the vehicle, which launched the attack on the CRPF been checked properly.
Quoting the then Director General of CRPF, Digvijay Singh alleged that the BJP government had rejected the demand of the higher-ups of the CRPF to airlift jawans from Srinagar to Delhi as the area was sensitive. "Why this demand was rejected?" he questioned.
Alleging that Pulwama has become the centre of terrorism, he said, "Every car is checked in the area. Why on that particular day was the Scorpio car not checked? A vehicle comes from the wrong direction. Why it was not checked? The vehicle was checked and soon it collided with the CRPF van and 40 of our CRPF were killed.
"Until now, the information related to the incident had not been given in the Parliament, nor are the people aware of it," Singh said.
Earlier on January 16, National Conference (NC)'s additional general secretary Sheikh Mustafa Kamal alleged that the central government organised both the 2016 Uri attack and the 2019 Pulwama attack.
He also alleged that none of the soldiers' bodies or images was found.
Sheikh Mustafa Kamal said: "It is almost clear that it was planned by the government of India. We didn't see their photos or bodies. Until it is clear as to who is the killer, all fingers point toward agencies of the government of India".
BJP terms Digvijay Singh as a "traitor"
The BJP launched a scathing attack on Digvijay Singh for questioning the surgical strike. Party dubbed him a "traitor", playing in the hands of anti-national forces.
BJP general secretary Vibodh Gupta said, " Digvijay Singh is talking like a traitor to undermine the Indian Army. A traitor like him who seems to be an agent of Pakistan and China doesn't deserve to be in the land of India. The country will never accept him or his leader Rahul Gandhi".
