Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on May 3, launched a blistering attack on Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi, after the latter had stoked controversy as he claimed that he has “not found proof where surgical strike took place.”
“Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi, who is known to be quite close to Rahul Gandhi, has said in a press conference that he has not seen proof of a surgical strike. The armed forces had announced it. Today, when the whole country is demanding and standing with the forces and saying that terrorists should get a strict punishment, just like the Balakot surgical strike had happened, but Congress is hurting the morale of the forces,” Poonawalla told ANI in the national capital.
Calling for the Indian National Congress (INC) to be renamed as “Anti-National Congress (ANC),” he added, “In the all-party meeting, they say that they are with the government and the armed forces and outside the meeting, on the instructions of Rahul Gandhi, they put vote back above the nation and they will give Pakistan a clean chit on the Pahalgam terrorist attack.”
He claimed that the morale of the Indian armed forces is being attacked at the direction of the party’s Parliamentary Party chairperson, Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul Gandhi.
“There is a direct attack on the armed forces at the direction of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. One after the other, there have been statements giving a clean chit to Pakistan, from Robert Vadra (businessman) to Siddaramaiah (Karnataka CM). Just like Dinesh Gundurao. The Congress social media posts the ‘sar tan se juda,’ there has been no investigation,” the BJP spokesperson said.
He also accused Rahul Gandhi of undermining Indian institutions during his visits abroad.
“There is no use to this, this is not support. This is the Congress’ support to Pakistan, Rahul Gandhi has said before itself that he wants to fight the Indian state. He goes and attacks and questions Indian institutions in a foreign land, and his politicians are trying to break the morale of the armed forces by giving these statements,” the BJP spokesperson added.
On May 2, Congress MP and former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi cast doubts over Balakot surgical strikes, saying that he has always demanded proof for it.
Channi had said in a press conference, “Till date, I could not find where the (surgical) strike took place, where men were killed at that time, and where this happened in Pakistan. Will we not find out if a bomb is dropped in our country? They say that they did a surgical strike in Pakistan. Nothing had happened. Nowhere was a surgical strike seen. Nobody came to know.”
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sambit Patra came down heavily on the Congress party for making such remarks and said, “From the outside, they are the Congress Working Committee (CWC), but from the inside, they are PWC (Pakistan Working Committee).”
“This is a planned vision of Congress, where, on the one hand, Kharge will say something about the resolution, and on the other hand, Channi will hold a parallel conference and doubt the surgical strikes. Congress does not leave any opportunity to provide oxygen to the Pakistani terrorists and the Pakistani Army,” Patra added.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader CR Kesavan lashed out at former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi for casting doubts on the 2019 surgical strikes carried out by the Indian armed forces in response to the Pulwama terror attack, which claimed the lives of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans and called the Congress party’s expression of sympathy for the victims of the recent Pahalgam terrorist attack an “outright lie.”
Kesavan further accused Channi of suspecting the patriotism of the armed forces. He said that the Congress was trying to “lower the morale” of the forces amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan.
“When Rahul Gandhi claims that Congress sympathises with victims of terror attacks, it is an outright lie. Yesterday, we saw Charanjit Singh Channi in a press conference, shamelessly suspecting the patriotism and courage of the armed forces and insulting our defence personnel. Channi’s statement exposes the deepest, divisive and dangerous ideology of Congress,” Kesavan said in a self-made video.
“What is the Congress trying to do? Are they trying to lower the morale of our armed forces at this critical juncture?” he asked.
Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini alleged that Channi was speaking someone else’s language rather than expressing his thoughts. He further said that his statement was very “unfortunate” and questioned why he couldn’t see such a “big attack”.
“Yeh kahi aur ki bhasha bol rahe hai, apni bhasha nahi bol rahe” (“He is speaking someonelse’s language, not his own”). This is unfortunate. Can’t he see such a big attack? He could not even see the Uri attack?” CM Saini said while participating in the ‘Walk for Drug-Free Chandigarh’ event.
Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao hit out at former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi over the latter demanding proof regarding the 2019 Balakot airstrike, saying that Congress’ intentions were “not right” since they try to bring down the morale of the security forces.
“This shows the mindset of Congress leaders; they try to bring down the morale of the security forces and discourage the bravery of the jawans. The truth is their intentions are not right,” Sao told ANI.
He said that the prompt action taken by the centre was indicative of the government’s intentions, which were to teach Pakistan a lesson over the deadly Pahalgam terrorist attack, which killed 26 people and injured many.
“The kind of statement Congress is making is not right. The prompt action taken by the government is historic and revolutionary. The government’s policy and intention are very clear. The government is working to teach Pakistan a lesson. The Union Home Minister has clearly, ‘ek ek atankwadi ko chun chun ke marenge’,” Sao said.
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