Rahul Gandhi snubs Digvijaya Singh for his statement on surgical strikes

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday snubbed party colleague Digvijaya Singh for his comment on the surgical strikes in Pakistan in 2016.

In his statement, Singh had questioned the authenticity of the strikes undertaken by the BJP-led Central government, following a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri that killed 19 soldiers.

Addressing a media conference here, Rahul Gandhi said, "I don't agree with Digvijaya Singh's statement. We trust the Army. The Army need not clarify on what it does."

"We are a democratic party. We are not a dictatorship. We do not appreciate Digvijaya Singh's views. I can assure you that Digvijaya Singh's views are not shared by the party."

He, however, did not agree that Singh's statement would affect the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra.

"The Yatra has achieved something very powerful. This cannot be changed. The Yatra has been a success. India is being brought together", Rahul said.

Rahul later left Nagrota for Udhampur town in Jammu division, continuing his Yatra.

In his statement Singh had also said, "Forty of our CRPF jawans were martyred in Pulwama. CRPF officials had requested PM Modi that personnel should be airlifted, but PM Modi didn't agree. How did such a lapse occur? Till date, no report on Pulwama has been placed before Parliament."

Earlier today, Congress also distanced itself on senior party leader Digvijaya Singh's comments on Pulwama, including on the surgical strikes, terming his statement "personal".

"The views expressed by senior leader Digvijaya Singh are his own and do not reflect the position of Congress. Surgical strikes were carried out before 2014 by UPA government. Congress has supported & will continue to support all military actions that are in the national interest," Congres General Secretary, in charge of communication, Jairam Ramesh said.

On February 14, 2019, a suicide bomber had rammed his explosives laden car into a convoy of the CRPF on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway at Lethpora in Pulwama district killing 40 troopers.

In retaliation for this attack, Indian Air Force fighter planes had bombed areas deep inside the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.