Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday clearly rejecting Congress’s claims of conducting surgical strikes across Line of Control earlier and said that no such operation conducted in the past in his knowledge.

While speaking at Forum for Integrated National Security in Mumbai, Parrikar said, “To my knowledge there were no surgical strikes carried in the past. Those action can at the best be called as ‘covert operations where the action was taken first and the government was informed later. But the September 29 strikes were a result of a government’s decision.”

However, the Defense Minister gave whole credit of the surgical strikes to Indian Army and the people of India. Parrikar said, “We don’t take credit for the strike. One should understand government takes decision and that government should be cheered. 127 crores people of this country and the Indian armed forces deserve the credit for the surgical strikes.”

He added that India’s efforts of friendship with Pakistan was construed as weakness by Pakistan. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi tried to patch up with Pakistanis. He extended a hand of friendship to Pakistan but this was construed as weakness. What we did on September 29 was the tell our adversaries that we are not weak,” said the Defense minister.

Early morning on September 29, the special forces of the Indian Army had carried out surgical strikes on terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) across the Line of Control (LoC), which was announced by DGMO Lt. Ranbir Singh at a Joint Press Conference with the Ministry of External Affairs on the following day.

Although Indian Army has conducted various cross border operation earlier, they all were covert and without any interference of the government. This time the Indian government has taken the responsibility of the operation and hence this is the first time India has done a surgical strike on Pakistan.

During the conversation, the Defense minister has also been asked about the misuse of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), to which Parrikar answered, “AFSPA has not been misused during our regime. In cases were there has been some error in judgements, inquires are underway and action would be taken accordingly. We have given clear instructions-don’t touch civilians but when somebody comes with a gun then don’t treat him as a civilian.”

By Prajakt K.