The raging controversy over surgical strikes changed into a spat on Saturday with two former Army generals giving opposite versions. While former Army chief and current minister of state for external affairs General VK Singh sought to debunk Congress claim of six surgical strikes were carried out during the UPA tenure, Lt. General (retd) DS Hooda, the orchestrator of the famous 2016 surgical strike, said several such strikes were conducted during UPA regime too.Gen Singh, who is BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Ghaziabad accused Congress of lying. "Congress has a habit of lying. Will you please let me know which surgical strikes are you attributing to during my tenure as COAS? Am sure you must have hired some Coupta to invent another story," said Gen Singh.Gen Singh's riposte came a day after senior Congress leader Rajiv Shukla said that six surgical strikes were done during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's tenure but the government never publicised it.Shukla also gave dates of surgical strikes as - June 19, 2008, in Bhattal Sector in J&K, August 30-September 1, 2011, in the Sharda sector across Neelam River Valley in Kel, third strike on January 6, 2013, at Sawan Patra Checkpost, fourth strike on July 27 and July 28, 2013 at Nazapir Sector, fifth strike on August 6, 2013 at Neelam Valley and the sixth one on January 14, 2014.Former PM Manmohan Singh had also asserted of carrying out surgical strikes but for strategic deterrence, not to use them as vote garnering exercises.Lt. Gen (Retd) Hooda said, "It is not right for any political party to drag the army into the elections. It will ultimately cause long-term damage to the institution."

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They Said It

  • Gen. VK Singh denied knowledge of a surgical strike during his tenure and accused Congress of lying about it
  • Lt Gen. Hooda said cross-border operations took place in the past, but disapproved of politicising the matter