Putting to rest the controversy surrounding the surgical strike once and for all, GOC Northern Command Lt Gen Ranbir Singh today said that a surgical strike was carried out for the first time by the armed forces in September 2016, to avenge the Uri attack.
Refusing to comment on the statements of political parties about surgical strikes, Lt Gen Singh said that the government would answer them. He also cited the reply given by the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) in an RTI which confirmed his statement.
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“A few days ago the DGMO said in a reply to an RTI that the first surgical strike happened in September 2016. I don’t want to go into what political parties say, they’ll be given an answer by government. What I told you is a statement of fact”, he said while addressing a press conference. Lt Gen Singh lauded the Balakot airstrikes which were carried out by the Indian Air Force to destroy the terrorist camps located in Balakot, Pakistan.
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He said that the Balakot airstrikes were a major achievement wherein our aircraft entered deep inside the territory of Pakistan and destroyed the terror launchpads. The Congress Party had questioned the surgical strike conducted by the current Modi government and had demanded evidence for the same. Later the party claimed that surgical strikes were conducted during UPA regime as well.
However, the numbers of the surgical strikes carried out during the UPA regime, as claimed by the party kept changing. It was claimed by Congress leader Rajiv Shukla that half a dozen surgical strikes were conducted under the UPA government. This was followed by Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s claim of 3 surgical strikes. This was further contradicted by Rajasthan Chief Ashok Gehlot who said that 15 surgical strikes were conducted by the Congress government during its rule. The statement by Lt Gen Ranbir Singh has confirmed that no surgical strike was conducted by security forces during the UPA government, and the first strike happened in 2016 during the term of Modi government.