Mumbai/New Delhi Oct 4 (PTI): A political slugfest today erupted over India's surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the LoC with Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam calling it "fake", provoking stinging criticism from BJP even as his own party said it "totally dissociates" from his remarks.
"Every Indian wants surgical strikes against Pakistan but not a fake one to extract just political benefit by BJP. politics over national interest(sic)," Nirupam tweeted, kicking up a row over the emotive issue.
The Congress leader went on to demand "some evidence" to prove the surgical strikes did take place and accused the Centre's ruling BJP of indulging in politics over the issue.
With patriotic sentiments running high amid soaring tensions with Pakistan, Union Minister Uma Bharti said leaders who cast "doubt over the army's surgical strike should take Pakistani citizenship".
"Those leaders who say that if Pakistan is demanding evidence about surgical strike, they should be given the evidence, such people should take the citizenship of Pakistan," Bharti told reporters in Pune.
The Congress had yesterday asked the government to put forth "credible" evidence of last week's surgical strikes, carried out by the Army across the LoC, to "expose" Pakistan which has denied any such action.
Congress senior spokesman Anand Sharma had also sought to dismiss the claim that the surgical strikes on terrorist launch pads was the first such retaliation by the Indian Army, insisting that it had responded earlier too "as per the need or provocation".
"Around a week ago when the DGMO on behalf of the government announced that a surgical strike has been carried out against the Pak terror camps in PoK, we all supported. Honourable Sonia Gandhi supported, Rahul Gandhi supported, even I personally supported it.
But the way BJP has put banners all over the country, the way surgical strike is being politicised, used for political benefit and simultaneously from all over the world questions are being raised on the reality of the surgical strike, we have the questions to ask the government," he said.
Nirupam said the government will "have to come with some evidence" without compromising national security to give reply to the whole world.
As the row erupted, Congress dissociated itself from Sanjay Nirupam's remarks, saying it had taken a serious note of those.
"Congress dissociates itself from Nirupam's remarks and has taken a serious note. It's time for the government to expose Pakistan's malicious propaganda. The evidence should be made public," said party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was also in line of BJP fire for his remarks "seeking proof" of the anti-terror surgical strike in PoK with Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asking him not to belittle the armed forces by getting influenced by Pakistani "propaganda".
At a press conference in Delhi, Prasad said the AAP leader should answer whether he believed in the Indian Army or not.
Kejriwal should not "belittle the great leadership, courage and sacrifice of armed forces under the garb of seeking proof," Prasad said, and alleged that he had given Pakistan a chance to question the army's assertion.
"It was most painful and unfortunate that the AAP leader was in Pakistani media headlines today as his remarks yesterday gave it a chance to question Indian army's claim," the BJP leader said, wondering why he was being swayed by Pakistani propaganda.
India has been successful in isolating Pakistan politically and diplomatically but Kejriwal is being guided by Pakistani media reports, Prasad said.
In a televised speech yesterday, Kejriwal had "saluted" Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ordering the surgical strike but also referred to some international media reports and an UN group observations, both of which appeared to question its authenticity, as he asked the Prime Minister to "unmask the Pakistani propaganda".
However, rejecting BJP's criticism, Kejriwal accused it of playing politics over the strike and said why was the party "scared" when he had only asked the Prime Minister to counter the false propaganda by Pakistan.
Maintaining that Aam Aadmi Party believes that surgical strikes did take place, Kejriwal said in Jodhpur that in his video message yesterday he had only appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give a befitting reply.
In a rare gesture, Kejriwal has yesterday "saluted" Modi for the surgical strikes by the Army on terror launch pads across the LoC. At the same time, he had urged the Centre to counter the smear campaign by Pakistan and international media.
"I have supported the Prime Minister, applauded the army. I only said that Pakistan is spreading false propaganda in the world that surgical strikes did not happen. We all believe that surgical strikes took place," Kejriwal told reporters at the Jodhpur civil airport.
"Pakistan is spreading the propaganda across the world and international media is running this that surgical strikes did not take place. I had only appealed to the PM that a befitting reply should be given to Pakistan.
"If I said that we have to counter Pakistan's false propaganda then why is the BJP so rattled and scared? We all have to counter Pakistan's propaganda and we should all, irrespective of the party, strengthen PM's hands in this," Kejriwal said.
Kejriwal's remark, apparently doubting the Indian army's claim, drew criticism from social activist and his former mentor Anna Hazare, who said,"I condemn it. This concerns the country, its people. We must trust the army's words. We should not doubt what the army has said."
Hazare is himself an army veteran who saw action during the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war.
Though Surjewala said the party had taken a serious note of Nirupam's remarks, he steered clear of questions whether show cause notices would be issued to him and Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh, who had also raised doubts over the strikes.
"Indian National Congress disagrees completely with the statement of Sanjay Nirupam. It has taken a serious note," Surjewala said, insisting that the party had "full faith" in the bravehearts of Indian armed forces. about conducting the surgical strikes.
He noted that Sonia Gandhi had unequivocally supported the army and the government on the issue of surgical strikes as for taking steps for demolishing terror infrastructure being used against India. "We reaffirm the same".
Insisting that there never was a reason to raise a question or doubt the statements by the DGMO on surgical strikes, he, however, said government needed to "call the Pakistani bluff and false propaganda" on the issue.
This, he said, should be done by the government using "all information, evidence and instruments at the disposal of Indian state".
Apparently seeking to take the sheen out of the army strikes last week under the Modi government, Surjewala said "We are proud that even in the past our forces successfully conducted such surgical strikes on numerous occasions".
He said such assaults had been mounted when Congress-led UPA was in power. Surjewala said Indian forces had taken such action on September 1, 2011, July 28, 2013 and January 14, 2014 "giving a befitting reply to the enemy".
"In its maturity, wisdom, and in the interest of national security, Congress government avoided making loud claim for the effective response and action of Indian Army, which had the full support of political leadership," he said against the backdrop of BJP projecting the military action as a reflection of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'strong' leadership.
The army had conducted surgical strikes on seven terror launch pads along the LoC on the intervening night of September 28 and 29, inflicting "significant casualties" on terrorists preparing to infiltrate from PoK.
The next morning, the DGMO had given this information to the media at a press conference.
Pakistan, however, has been dismissing the claim as "fabrication of truth" and said India was creating "media hype" by re-branding cross-border fire as surgical strike.