Army Carried Out Cross-Border Operations in Past Too, Says Lt Gen DS Hooda As BJP-Oppn Slug It Out

[Kool_SRG]

The Congress had earlier claimed that the armed forces had conducted six surgical strikes during Manmohan Singh's term as Prime Minister. The BJP had retorted by labelling those strikes 'invisible and unknown'.

Jaipur: Retired Lieutenant General DS Hooda on Saturday said that cross-border operations had happened in the past too, but disapproved of politicising the matter.

Responding to a question on the Congress party's claim that six surgical strikes had been carried out during its rule too, Hooda said, "Certainly cross-border operations have been carried out by the Indian Army in the past too. I am not aware of the exact dates and areas."

 

 

 

The Congress on Thursday came out with a list of six anti-terror surgical strikes carried out during the UPA rule, asserting that it never tried to take political advantage from military operations as was being done by the BJP.
 

 

The Congress released the list at a press conference after BJP leader Arun Jaitley took a jibe at the opposition party, saying its surgical strikes were "invisible and unknown".
 

 

The former chief of the Indian Army's Northern Command said it was not good to politicise the Army.

"It is not a good thing to bring the Army in poll campaign by political parties. The Election Commission too has said this. Ultimately, it's the institution which suffers damage in long term," he said.

Hooda was here to attend a dialogue on India's national security.

"Protecting our people is one of the most important aspects in the national security strategy we prepare," he said in the function.

Hooda, who recently headed a Congress panel on national security and submitted a report, also said that the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir is an important challenge being faced today.

[Kool_SRG]

"Army Conducted Surgical Strikes Before PM Modi Too": Lt General DS Hooda

The retired army officer also warned against politicising military operations because it will cause "long-term damage" to the armed forces.

NEW DELHI: 

The Indian army had conducted surgical strikes against terrorists across the Pakistan border during the UPA rule too, news agency ANI quoted Lieutenant General (Retd) DS Hooda as saying on Saturday. His comments came hours after the BJP claimed that the Narendra Modi government was the first to take such an initiative.

The retired army officer's assertion is significant, given that he had played a major role in the 2016 surgical strike launched after the Uri terror attack. Last year, he had created a flutter by saying that the operation - while "much needed" from the military point of view - had been "overhyped and politicised". In February, he agreed to head a task force constituted by the Congress to develop a vision document on national security. The party released the document on April 21. 

Lieutenant General Hooda's latest comments seem to support the Congress' claim that while as many as six cross-border strikes were conducted between 2004 and 2014, the Manmohan Singh government never publicised the matter. "As has been said by many people and ex-veterans as well, surgical strikes or cross-border operations had been carried out by the Army in the past too. But I am not aware of the exact date and areas," ANI quoted him as telling mediapersons.

He also claimed that the armed forces will not benefit from the politicisation of military operations. "It is not right for any political party to bring the army into the elections, as directed by the Election Commission. It will ultimately cause long-term damage to the institution," Lieutenant General Hooda said.

Earlier today, the BJP had rejected claims of surgical strikes being carried out before Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power. "September 29, 2016, was the first time a surgical strike ever happened. There is no record of surgical strikes before this. This information has been given by the Director General, Military Operations, in an RTI reply," party spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said.

"Every Congress leader is giving out different figures for surgical strikes supposedly carried out during the UPA regime. One says it was two, another says it was six, while some others say it was 10. Does the Congress carry out any surgical strike from its office on Akbar Road, 24?" he asked.

Minister of State for External Affairs General VK Singh also ridiculed the opposition party's claim. "Congress has a habit of lying. Will you please let me know which 'so-called surgical strike' are you attributing to my tenure as COAS (Chief of Army Staff). Am sure you must have hired some Coupta to invent another story," he tweeted.

On Thursday, Congress leader Rajiv Shukla had provided details of the six surgical strikes reportedly conducted under the Manmohan Singh administration. He also claimed that two such military operations were earlier carried out under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.

Opposition parties have accused the BJP of politicising the 2016 surgical strike and the Balakot air strikes to drum up votes in violation of poll regulations. They also allege that the Election Commission is going easy on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah despite repeated infractions on their part.

[Kool_SRG]

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[Mitron]

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