Attacking the leaders questioning the "credentials" of the Central government and the Indian Army on surgical strikes, Union Minister Jitendra Singh today said they "did not have the guts" to call a terrorist a terrorist, but found the Army as a "soft target" for their campaign.
"These (who target Centre and Army on surgical strikes) are precisely the leaders who do not have the guts to call a terrorist a terrorist, but they find the Army a soft target for their vicious campaign," he said.
"If you (BJP cadres) ask them a pointed question whether Burhan Wani was a terrorist or not, they will avoid and evade the question and give some philosophical reply, but they have the cheek to question the patriotism of country's leadership," he said.
Addressing a public rally in Kishtwar today, the Union Minister thumpingly told a cheering crowd, "We are Indians first and everything else later."
Paying rich tributes to security forces, Singh said, if at all we are safe and secure today, it is because our young jawans who are guarding our borders and exercising day-and-night vigil under most difficult circumstances.
Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam had earlier tweeted, "Every Indian wants surgical strikes against Pakistan but not a fake one to extract just political benefit by BJP. politics over national interest(sic)."
He 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 had said leaders who cast "doubt over the army's surgical strike should take Pakistani citizenship".
The Congress had also asked the government to put forth "credible" evidence of surgical strikes.
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