Modi government trying to convert Surgical Strike into vote bank: Congress' Randeep Surjewala

The Congress came out all guns blazing against the Modi government on Thursday and said that it is trying to take benefit out of the Surgical Strike by the Army against terror launch pads in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) in 2016 and convert it into vote bank. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala asserted that the Army has always made the country proud and added that many such operations have been conducted in the past too.

"Modi government is exploiting the slogan of 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan' and trying to win votes through Surgical Strike. Nation wants to ask them did Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh boast of the success of Army operations during their tenure, just like them?" asked Surjewala.

"The nation needs to be cautioned that whenever Modi government starts failing, whenever Amit Shahji's BJP start losing, they misuse the valour of the Army for their political benefit," Surjewala added.

The Congress' outburst came hours after the Army released video evidence of the Surgical Strike it conducted on the intervening night of September 28 and 29, 2016 in which around 50 terrorists were killed. The video of Indian Army’s operation was captured using UAV and head-mounted cameras. The Indian Army's Surgical Strikes were in response to terror attack on Uri camp in which 23 soldiers were martyred on 18 September 2016.

Citing a report, Surjewala said, "68 per cent weapons of the Army are old and unusable and after Doklam no money was given for modernisation of the Army."

He also alleged discrimination on the part of Modi government towards Indian Army and said, “From past one year, BJP has stopped food supply of the Army and imposed GST on items of the central canteen."

Talking about the unrest in Kashmir, Surjewala said, “Government has failed in controlling Pakistan sponsored terrorism."