'Kejriwal and Nirupam should ask for their parents' wedding night video': BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma

With the controversy surrounding Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam asking proof of the surgical strikes by the Indian Army refusing to die down, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Rameshwar Sharma on Wednesday stirred a fresh controversy with his remark wondering whether such people even ask the video proof of their conception from their parents. Sharma, the MLA from Bhopal, also said that the language and tone of Kejriwal and Nirupam sound similar to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. 'Be it Arvind Kejriwal or Sanjay Nirupam or be it any other leader, those who speak against the Indian Army and those who don't believe in the army, are those who will only believe in their lineage after watching the video of their parents wedding night,' Sharma said.

'The Indian Army has been sacrificing their lives and blood for the nation and those who don't believe in them are traitors. They all are Pakistani agents. Their language and tone matches with that of Nawaz Sharif,' he added.
Kejriwal and Nirupam have been facing widespread criticism ever since they asked the Centre to release the video of the September 29 predawn surgical strikes carried out by the army across Line of Control (LoC).
Kejriwal, however, later clarified that the reason behind his demand was to counter the false propaganda of Pakistan, which has been calling the strike as 'farce'.

Rejecting BJP's criticism, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accused it of playing politics over the anti-terror surgical strike and said why was the party "scared" when he had only asked the Prime Minister to counter the false propaganda by Pakistan. Maintaining that Aam Aadmi Party believes that surgical strikes did take place, Kejriwal said that in his video message yesterday he had only appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give a befitting reply.

In a rare gesture, Kejriwal "saluted" Modi for the surgical strikes by the Army on terror launch pads across the LoC. At the same time, he had urged the Centre to counter the smear campaign by Pakistan and international media, but BJP alleged that Kejriwal had in the garb of his statement questioned the Army's assertion on surgical strike and insulted the armed forces.

"I have supported the Prime Minister, applauded the army. I only said that Pakistan is spreading false propaganda in the world that surgical strikes did not happen. We all believe that surgical strikes took place," Kejriwal told reporters at the Jodhpur civil airport. "Pakistan is spreading the propaganda across the world and international media is running this that surgical strikes did not take place. I had only appealed to the PM that a befitting reply should be given to Pakistan.

"If I said that we have to counter Pakistan's false propaganda then why is the BJP so rattled and scared? We all have to counter Pakistan's propaganda and we should all, irrespective of the party, strengthen PM's hands in this," Kejriwal said.

Claiming that Kejriwal "sought proof" on the anti-terror operation, the BJP asked him not to belittle the armed forces by getting influenced by Pakistani "propaganda". At a press conference today, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the AAP leader should answer whether he believed in the Indian Army or not. Kejriwal later retorted: "I am unhappy. Ravi Shankar ji is saying I am playing politics. Am I playing politics or they?"

"I and my party are with Narendra Modi in his every step against Pakistan and its mischiefs," said Kejriwal."It is time that all the citiznes and political parties are united and strengthen the hands of the prime minister against Pakistan," he said. 

Earlier,  Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam calling it "fake", provoking stinging criticism from BJP even as his own party said it "totally dissociates" from his remarks. "Every Indian wants surgical strikes against Pakistan but not a fake one to extract just political benefit by BJP. politics over national interest(sic)," Nirupam tweeted, kicking up a row over the emotive issue.

The Congress leader went on to demand "some evidence" to prove the surgical strikes did take place and accused the Centre's ruling BJP of indulging in politics over the issue.

With patriotic sentiments running high amid soaring tensions with Pakistan, Union Minister Uma Bharti said leaders who cast "doubt over the army's surgical strike should take Pakistani citizenship".

"Those leaders who say that if Pakistan is demanding evidence about surgical strike, they should be given the evidence, such people should take the citizenship of Pakistan," Bharti told reporters in Pune.

The Congress had yesterday asked the government to put forth "credible" evidence of last week's surgical strikes, carried out by the Army across the LoC, to "expose" Pakistan which has denied any such action.

Congress senior spokesman Anand Sharma had also sought to dismiss the claim that the surgical strikes on terrorist launch pads was the first such retaliation by the Indian Army, insisting that it had responded earlier too "as per the need or provocation".

"Around a week ago when the DGMO on behalf of the government announced that a surgical strike has been carried out against the Pak terror camps in PoK, we all supported.
Honourable Sonia Gandhi supported, Rahul Gandhi supported, even I personally supported it.

But the way BJP has put banners all over the country, the way surgical strike is being politicised, used for political benefit and simultaneously from all over the world questions are being raised on the reality of the surgical strike, we have the questions to ask the government," he said.

Nirupam said the government will "have to come with some evidence" without compromising national security to give reply to the whole world.

As the row erupted, Congress dissociated itself from Sanjay Nirupam's remarks, saying it had taken a serious note of those.

"Congress dissociates itself from Nirupam's remarks and has taken a serious note. It's time for the government to expose Pakistan's malicious propaganda. The evidence should be made public," said party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.