Indian Army: No data on surgical strikes done before September 2016

Representational picture

Jammu: Army has no data to suggest that surgical strikes were conducted by its troops across the Line of Control (LoC) before September 29, 2016, the day when such strikes were carried out in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). This was stated by the Directorate General of Military Operations (DGMOs) in a RTI reply, putting to rest the claim of UPA and Congress that six surgical strikes were conducted during the period of Manmohan Singh government.

"This section does not hold any data pertaining to surgical strikes if carried out before September 29, 2016," said Lt Col A D S Jasrotia at the Integrated Headquarters of MoD (Army). The reply came in response to an RTI filed by Jammu-based activist Rohit Choudhary about the number of surgical strikes on Pakistan between 2004 and 2014, and after September 2014. He had also sought to know how many of those were successful. "Indian army conducted surgical strikes along the LOC on 29 September 2016. No Indian soldier lost his life during surgical strikes", the officer of IHQ of Army's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) said in the RTI reply. Some Congress leaders including from former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh claimed that several surgical strikes were conducted by army during the previous UPA rule.

"Multiple surgical strikes took place during our tenure, too. For us, military operations were meant for strategic deterrence and giving a befitting reply to anti-India forces than to be used for vote garnering exercises,¿ Singh had said in an interview to a newspaper. Congress leader Rajiv Shukla had told reporters at an AICC briefing last week that six surgical strikes were conducted during the period of Manmohan Singh government. The BJP had questioned the claims and said the Congress had a ¿habit of lying¿. Union Minister V K Singh, a former army chief, on Saturday denied knowledge of a surgical strike during his tenure and accused the Congress of lying about it. Taking to Twitter, he said, "Congress has a habit of lying. Will you please let me know which 'So-called Surgical Strike' are you attributing to my tenure as COAS (chief of army staff). Am sure you must have hired some Coupta to invent another story."

Top stories of the day

• Death by Garbage: Man dies under weight of waste in Kurla
• Video: Minor boys perform death-defying stunt on Mumbai local train
• Mumbai: CSMT's hi-tech indicators make commuters unhappy
• Mumbai Crime: 55-year old doctor rapes model in Versova; arrested
• Visually challenged Mumbai boy 95 percent in ICSE
• Banned stapler pins on your tea bags? FDA is waiting for your complaint
• Talaq, not qubool, says Bhiwandi woman to husband
• Four cars catch fire in two days on Mumbai-Pune Expressway
• Mumbai: Drop in road accident deaths in city, suburbs
• Mumbai: Relief for flat owner who owes society dues of Rs 4.91 lakh
• 42 cats, dogs rescued from 'unhygienic' Virar flat
• Kumbh pe kharcha and other matters in polls pe charcha
• S K Patil Udyan in south Mumbai opens after eight months
• 'Joblessness is the real terrorism'
• Researchers at IITB develop first ever microprocessor, major boon for India's electronics
• Twitterati reacts to Narendra Modi's comment on Gandhi family using INS Viraat as personal taxi

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates