Congress leaders asks Indian gov't to show proof on surgical strikes in Pakistan

Xinhua News Agency

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Though India's main opposition Congress party has openly backed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government on "surgical strikes" in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir last week, one of its senior party leaders Tuesday cast doubts and asked for proof.

Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam from Mumbai said that unless the Indian government offered proof of last week's surgical strikes across the border in Pakistan, they appear to be "fake".

"Every Indian wants #SurgicalStrikesAgainstPak but not a fake one to extract just political benefit by #BJP. I'm not saying you release all video footage, I don't think so either... as it may not be in the interest of national security... but there is a need to show some proof," he tweeted.

The Congress party was, however, quick to say that it disagreed with its leader's statement on the surgical strikes, but said that "the Indian government needs to call Pakistan's bluff by using all information and evidence available".

Islamabad has rejected India's claims of surgical strikes across the Line of Control to eliminate multiple terror launch pads in Pakistan last week, saying the claims were false, and those were just cross-border firing.

The Indian Army claimed to have carried out the strikes in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir in the wake of a terror attack on a military camp in Indian-controlled Kashmir's Uri sector earlier this month, in which 19 soldiers were killed and over 30 others injured.

India and Pakistan both stake claim to Kashmir and have fought at least three major wars over the disputed region in the past 65 years.

(APD)