New Delhi: Amid demands by some opposition leaders asking for proof of surgical strikes in Pakistan in 2016, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Eastern Command, Lt Gen R P Kalita on Friday said the Army does not look at keeping any evidence while carrying out an operation.
According to a report by news agency PTI, Lt Gen Kalita said that the nation trusts Indian forces. He made the remarks while declining to answer a “political question” by mediapersons on recent demands by some opposition leaders asking for proof of the surgical strikes.
“This is a political question. So I don’t like to comment on that. I think the nation trusts the Indian Armed Forces,” Lt Gen Kalita said at a Meet the Press programme at the Press Club in Kolkata.
Lt Gen RP Kalita #ArmyCdrEC had a constructive and insightful interaction with Media personnel today during ‘Meet the Press Programme’ hosted by Press Club, Kolkata. The Army Commander exchanged mementos with Mr Snehasis Sur, President Press Club Kolkata on the occasion. pic.twitter.com/KZ3y7YB8po
— EasternCommand_IA (@easterncomd) January 27, 2023
Asked if the Army keeps any proof during an operation, he replied in negative. “When we are going to carry out any operation, we are not looking at keeping any proof of that operation,” he said.
Notably, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh had expressed doubts over the cross-border military operation, recently during Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi in Jammu.
“They (Centre) talk about surgical strikes and that they have killed so many of them, but there is no proof. They are ruling by peddling a bundle of lies,” he had said.
However, the party distanced itself from his remark and said it does not reflect its stand as it supports all military actions that are in the country’s interests.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had also termed Singh’s comments “ridiculous” and said the Armed Forces are doing their job “exceptionally well” and they do not need to give any proof.
Meanwhile, AICC general secretary for communications, Jairam Ramesh took to Twitter and said the view expressed by Singh was his own and the UPA government had carried out surgical strikes before 2014 (when the BJP-led NDA came to power).
Congress had also supported that and will continue to support all military actions that are in the country’s interests, he said.
Notably, in September 2016, India had conducted surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC) in response to a terrorist attack on an Army base in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir.