Foreign Secretary has exposed govt’s strike lies: Congress

Hope Jaishankar won’t be axed for speaking truth: Surjewala.

Politics over the cross-border strike has once again taken centrestage as the Congress has latched on to the remarks of the foreign secretary S. Jaishankar’s remarks that the Army had carried out “target specific, limited-calibre, counter-terrorist operations” across LoC in the past too.

The foreign secretary’s remarks assume significance in the context of remarks made by defence minister Manohar Parrikar last week, rejecting the Congress’ claims that surgical strikes were undertaken during the UPA government too.

The communications incharge of the Congress, Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala, said that “hoped that Mr Jaishankar would not get axed like his predecessor Sujatha Singh for speaking the truth and expose BJP’s deception. Modi govt’s rhetoric, bravado and machismo’s exposed by FS, Jaishankar. Amit Shah’s and Parrikar’s lies lie exposed.” (sic)

Congress party national spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi also chided the BJP government by asking, “Does it look good that the defence minister is being contradicted by the foreign secretary ”

Dr Singhvi also charged Prime Minister Narendra Modi of looking the other way while the issue was being politicised right under his nose.

The Congress feels that the top diplomat’s remark has vindicated the UPA stand that it has also carried out surgical strikes in the past. Sources say that the Congress would raise the statements made by the foreign secretary in both the Houses of Parliament starting November 16.

The Congress has accused the government of trying to draw political gain from the cross-border surgical strikes, especially with an eye on the upcoming Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand. Things have come to head with the statements of Mr Parrikar where he had credited the Prime Minister for the success of the surgical strikes and, later, stating that the RSS ideology inspired them to do surgical strikes.

The Congress is trying to bring Opposition together on this issue to corner the Central government on the issue of surgical strike.