A fresh political row has erupted after Congress MP and former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi reignited the long-standing controversy over surgical strikes conducted by Indian armed forces in Pakistan-administered territory. Channi questioned the veracity of the operations, demanding concrete proof and claiming no visible evidence had ever been made public.
"...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...I have always demanded (proof). But today, people's wounds need to be tended to. We demand that the Government do something. Tell people who they (perpetrators of the Pahalgam Terrorist Attack) are and punish them," Channi said during a press conference.
Channi’s remarks came in the backdrop of rising tensions following the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which left the nation in mourning. While addressing the need for urgent action and justice, his comments on past military operations have stirred sharp criticism.
Reacting strongly, BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accused the Congress party of undermining the morale of the armed forces and aligning with narratives that echo Pakistan’s stance. “Congress has become the Pakistan Prast Party (PPP). Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah says no action should be taken against Pakistan... Again, they are trying to demoralise the armed forces... Earlier, Rahul Gandhi also demanded proof of the surgical strike...Robert Vadra and other Congress party leaders have given a clean chit to Pakistan and blamed Hindutva. They always match their tunes with Pakistan,” Poonawalla said in a video statement.
“When the whole country is standing behind the army so that they can give a befitting reply to the terrorists, the Congress party is hurting the morale of the army,” he added.
Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa also joined the chorus of condemnation, stating that Channi's comments reflect a recurring pattern of what he called the "dirty mentality of the Gandhi family." He asserted, "Pakistan itself is saying that India has caused a lot of damage by conducting surgical strikes ... Charanjit Singh Channi has again shown the dirty politics and dirty mentality of the Gandhi family, who always question the army and demoralise the forces. I condemn this."
