india

Updated: Oct 07, 2016 01:27 IST

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday unleashed a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of “profiteering” from the soldiers who have given their blood for the nation.

“Aap kar kya rahe ho jo hamare jawan hain, jinhone khoon diya hai, jinhone Jammu and Kashmir mei apna khoon diya hai, jinhone Hindustan ke liye surgical strike kiya hai, unke khoon ke peeche aap chhupe huye ho. (What are you (PM) doing? Our soldiers have given their blood in Jammu and Kashmir, carried out surgical strikes for India, you (PM) are hiding behind their blood),” he said.

“Aap unki dalali kar rahe ho. Ye galat hai (PM is profiteering from the soldiers. This is wrong.),” Gandhi said, winding up his 26-day Kisan yatra across poll-bound Uttar Pradesh in Delhi.

Gandhi’s remarks came six days after he had praised the PM over the surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC). “I want to thank him (PM) because for the first time in two-and-a-half years he has taken an action that is of the stature of PM,” he said, while addressing a public meeting at Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh. This was a rare occasion when Gandhi publicly praising Modi.

Read: Army says carried out ‘surgical strikes’ across LoC against terror targets

But on Thursday evening, Gandhi was in an attacking mode. “The Indian army has done its job for the country, you do yours now. Increase their (soldiers) pay in the 7th pay commission,” he told the PM.

Reacting sharply to the Congress leader’s comment, BJP secretary Sidharth Nath Singh said, “Rahul Gandhi’s statement is a new low in Indian politics. It is not only condemnable but highly irresponsible coming from a vice-president of the Congress party which fought for Independence. It also proves that what Sanjay Nirupam had said two days back had Rahul Gandhi’s backing and, therefore, no action has been taken against him. Congress and other political parties may be nervous because of courage and will power shown by Modi government in backing armed forces’ decision to go for surgical strikes across LoC... Rahul Gandhi has done surgical strike on his party.”

The much-publicised Indian army operation across the LoC is turning into a political slugfest, with the opposition asking the Modi government to furnish evidence to call “Pakistan’s bluff”. Upcoming elections in five states, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab, is widely believed to be the reason why the opposition parties are asking for proof but couching it as a must to quash Pakistan’s propaganda. Leaders of the opposition parties are of the view that the BJP will try to encash the surgical strikes in poll-bound states.