JAMMU: Hailing the surgical strikes as a successful component of the military strategy to counter Pak sponsored terrorism, Harsh Dev Singh, JKNPP Chairman and former Minister has, however, cautioned the government to refrain from using the same as a poll plank.
He said that with the Assembly elections round the corner in various states of the country including UP and Punjab, it was nauceating to note the ruling BJP trying to assume political ownership of the army’s action and to draw political mileage out of the perilous operation conducted by beleaguered jawans at the risk of their lives. He said that all credit went to the valiant jawans not only for the said surgical strike but all other identical operations carried out by the Army in the past.
He pointed out that even the Foreign Secretary had admitted before the parliamentary committee that such strikes had been carried out in the past as well.
He however deplored that never before were army’s exploits traded politically as was being done by the present government which linked everything including soldiers’ valour to promote their electoral prospects. Lambasting the BJP for attempting at political exploitation of the army’s strikes and its chest thumping with high pitched emotionalism, Singh said that it could fritter away the diplomatic gains that have accrued to India in the recent past. He said that India had grained significantly in the recent past to isolate Pakistan at the international level for the reason and for its assertions that its attacks were part of its strategy against Terror adding that world community had given tremendous response to India’s slogan of fight against terrorism. He cautioned that politicisation of such operations could diminish the efficacy of the efforts to isolate Pakistan. He said that BJP must refrain from giving any impression to the international community that politics rather them strategy determines the country’s response to Pakistan. Expressing his dismay over the Israeli-like spin given by PM Modi to the Indian Army strike, Singh said that the comparison was ill conceived and un-warranted. He said Indian Army was greatly refined, highly professional and most decorated force in the world and could by no stretch of imagination be compared with the trigger-happy Israeli Army which had earned notoriety the world over for its tone deaf strikes. He said that Indian Army had won kudos all across the globe for its discipline, restraint, perseverance and for its recent operation against terror followed by military leadership stating in unambiguous terms that its fight was not against any society or nation but against terrorism.