Arvind Kejriwal diverting attention by questioning surgical strikes: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday continued its tirade against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for questioning the September 29 surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army across the Line of Control (LoC) and said that such people are with his move supporting Pakistan's malicious propaganda against India.

BJP leader Shahnwaz Hussain dubbed Kejriwal's comment as extremely unfortunate and said that this was not expected from a person, who floated his party based on the ideology of veteran social activist Anna Hazare.

"The country never imagined that the person who formed his party post Anna's movement, someone who uses the slogan 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai', someone who waves the tricolour and the public of Delhi adored and chose him to be the Chief Minister of Delhi and he would point a finger at the decision of the Indian Army," Hussain said.

"Arvind Kejriwal's comment is a comment that helps Pakistan. Today, the Pakistan TV channels have published bigger pictures of Arvind Kejriwal, Digvijaya Singh and P. Chidambaram than their own soldiers. Pakistan is taking the help of the comments by these politicians to support their propaganda against India," he added.

Stating that nobody doubts the surgical strikes, the BJP leader said the politics being played by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress on this sensitive issue is angering the nation.

"You can criticise the BJP or Narendra Modi, but the nation won't tolerate if you point fingers at the operations of the Indian Army," he added.

Hussain told ANI that this was all being done by Kejriwal to divert the attention from his AAP colleagues, who have been accused in several scandals.

The BJP leader also appeared to be in tune with Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharati's statement that anyone who doubts the surgical strikes should take up Pakistani citizenship and said the comments of Kejriwal and the Congress have strengthened the Pakistani side.

"If they stay in Delhi and strengthen the opposite side, no one will accept it here," he added while asserting that Pakistan is repeatedly violating the ceasefire and this reflects their frustration post the surgical strikes.

Under fire Kejriwal, however, later defended his remark and said that evidence of the surgical strikes should be released to counter Pakistan's propaganda and its denial of the strikes.

"BJP, I m convinced that strikes took place. But intl media publishing Pak propaganda that no strike took place. Let's expose Pak propaganda," Kejriwal tweeted in response to the criticism by the BJP.