RSS, BJP publically making 'political capital out of surgical strikes': Congress

New Delhi [India], Oct. 12 (ANI): Reprimanding the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for "trying to divide the armed forces on political grounds" and on "unending chest thumping" on surgical strikes, the Congress Party on Wednesday said the nasty attempts at political and electoral gains have brought disgrace to the tradition of culture of governance of our country and by doing so the RSS, as also ruling party president Amit Shah, have publically declared their intentions to make political capital out of surgical strikes. "The chest thumping by the BJP on the issue of surgical strike is unending and the nasty attempts at political and electoral gains have brought disgrace to the tradition of culture of governance of our country. The RSS as also BJP president Amit Shah have publically declared their intentions to make political capital out of surgical strikes," Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala told a press conference here. He alleged that converting the national security into an event management exercise to polish the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is extremely unfortunate, and reflects desperation on the part of the BJP. "This entire distressful commentary by the BJP, unending public felicitations of the Defence Minister in Goa, Agra, Lucknow, and possibly in future at many other places, and converting the national security into an event management exercise to polish the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is extremely unfortunate, and reflects desperation on the part of the BJP," he said. Criticising both Parrikar and Shah, Surjewala said, "First, the Defence Minister claimed that the Modi government has made the Indian Army realise its strength for the first time in India's independent history. Going a step further, Amit Shah disgracefully lies to the nation by claiming that the army has crossed the Line of Control (LoC) for the first time in 68 years." Going hammer and thongs at Parrikar, the Congress leader said: "Not to be outdone, the Defence Minister on two separate occasions today has made remarks, which will be vehemently dismissed and condemned. He doesn't behove the Defence Minister of India to insult the service, sacrifice and valour of the armed forces by shamelessly denying the victims of earlier surgical strikes by our armed forces to defend the honour and also the country at large." Alleging that blinded by political vote garnering, Parrikar is unabashedly lying and misleading people, he sought apologise from the Defence Minister for denying the supreme sacrifice of brave soldiers. "Does Sh. Parrikar mean those who fought 1965 and 1971 wars or those who participated in 'Op Ginger' are not valued members of our armed forces," he sought to know. Stating that they are expecting maturity and gravitas from the government in handling situations on crucial security matters, Surjewala said the onus lies on Prime Minister Modi to rein in his belligerent Defence Minister and BJP president - "they should apologise to the Armed Forces". (ANI)