Sandeep Dikshit calls surgical strike by Indian Army a 'drama'; BJP slams Congress leader

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New Delhi: Stoking controversy, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit on Monday dubbed the surgical strike carried out by the Indian Army across the LoC, days after the Uri attack in 2016, as a 'drama' that did not have any impact.

On the intervening night of September 28 and 29 in 2016, the Army had conducted a surgical strike on terror launch pads in Pakistan. The operation that went on for over five hours was undertaken after the Uri attack in which seventeen Army personnel were killed.

"One thing is very clear with this (Pulwama terror attack) that all the drama of surgical strike and their policies on Pakistan are clearly not working. We have to think in a different way and I don't think this government is able to keep our borders safe. On one hand, you are saying that there is no enemy like Pakistan and on the other hand, you are holding an NSC meeting," Dikshit told ANI, while commenting on the Pulwama terror attack.

In a pre-dawn strike, five CRPF men were killed when heavily armed terrorists stormed the camp of the paramilitary force at Lethpora in Pulwama district on Sunday. The attack was claimed by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Slamming the Congress leader for his remarks, national spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) GVL Narasimha Rao tweeted:

Sandeep Dikshit is being groomed by Rahul Gandhi to be "Gen-Next Mani Shankar Aiyar". DigvijayS, Sandeep Dikshit, Sanjay Nirupam et al. have been drafted by Rahul to do hatchet jobs for its vote bank politics project. AICC turning into "Anti-India Congress Committee"? @OfficeOfRG https://t.co/8pkyN90OmB — GVL Narasimha Rao (@GVLNRAO) January 1, 2018

In July 2017 too, Dikshit had hit the headlines when he had termed the Army Chief a 'sadak ka goonda' (goon on the street).

"Ours is not a mafia army like the Pakistani army which makes statements like the goons on the street. It looks bad when our Army chief gives a statement like a 'sadak ka goonda'," son of former Delhi CM  Sheila Dikshit had said.

He, however, had later withdrawn his remarks and had tweeted, "I have reservations on a comment of the Army Chief, but I should have chosen appropriate words. I apologise." 

I have reservations on a comment of the Army Chief, but I should have chosen appropriate words. I apologise — Sandeep Dikshit (@_SandeepDikshit) June 11, 2017

General Bipin Rawat had defended the human shield incident and had said that the troops needed innovative ways to fight against the 'dirty war' in Kashmir. 

"People are throwing stones at us, people are throwing petrol bombs at us. If my men ask me what do we do, should I say, just wait and die? I will come with a nice coffin with a national flag and I will send your bodies home with honour. Is it what I am supposed to tell them as chief? I have to maintain the morale of my troops who are operating there," he had said, as per PTI. 

"This is a proxy war and proxy war is a dirty war. It is played in a dirty way. The rules of engagements are there when the adversary comes face-to-face and fights with you. It is a dirty war. That is where innovation comes in. You fight a dirty war with innovations," the Army Chief had further said.

Major Leetul Gogoi belonging to the 53 Rashtriya Rifles had tied a man to a jeep in Kashmir purportedly as a shield against stone pelters.

(With Agency inputs)