PANAJI (India): Faced with a barrage of criticism from various quarters over his statements on “cross-Line of Control strikes” by the army, Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Sunday he had stopped using the word “strike”.

The minister has been facing criticism from the opposition for a flurry of remarks over the “surgical strikes” the Indian government claimed to have carried out in Azad Kashmir and which were denied by Pakistan.

“I will prefer to address the gathering in local language. I hardly get an opportunity to address in local language.

“But I promise you I will not touch any controversial issue. I have already stopped using the word strike,” Parrikar, who was in his home state of Goa, said during the inauguration of a helicopter engines maintenance unit in Sattari tehsil.

“You brought up the term (strike) in your speech, referring to labour issues,” he said on a lighter note after the speech by Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar during the event.

On October 17, the minister had criticised those seeking proof for the “surgical strikes”.

Condemning Parrikar for rejecting its claim of “surgical strikes” having been undertaken by the army under the government led by it, Congress had demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi rein in his belligerent minister and BJP chief Amit Shah, and apologise to the armed forces.

By arrangement with the Times of India

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2016