Army doesn’t look at keeping proof while conducting any operation: Lt Gen Kalita

KOLKATA: Amidst demands by some opposition leaders for proof of surgical strikes in Pakistan in 2016, GOC-in-C of Eastern Command, Lt Gen R P Kalita Friday said the Army does not look at keeping any evidence while carrying out an operation.

The nation trusts Indian forces, he said declining to answer a “political question” by scribes here on recent demands by some opposition leaders demanding proof of the surgical strikes.

“This is a political question. So I don’t like to comment on that. I think the nation trusts the Indian Armed Forces,” he said at a Meet the Press programme at the Press Club, Kolkata.

Asked if the Army keeps any proof while conducting an operation, he replied in negative.

“When we are going to carry out any operation, we are not looking at keeping any proof of that operation,” he said.

Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh had expressed doubts over the cross-border military operation recently during Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi in Jammu.

“They (Centre) talk about surgical strikes and that they have killed so many of them, but there is no proof. They are ruling by peddling a bundle of lies,” he had said.

The party, however, distanced itself from the remark and said it does not reflect its stand as it supports all military actions that are in the country’s interests.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had termed Singh’s comments “ridiculous” and said the Armed Forces are doing their job “exceptionally well” and do not need to give any proof.

AICC general secretary for communications, Jairam Ramesh said on Twitter that the view expressed by Singh was his own and the UPA government too had carried out surgical strikes before 2014 (when the BJP-led NDA came to power). Congress had supported and will continue to support all military actions that are in the country’s interests.

In September 2016, India conducted surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC) in response to a terrorist attack on an Army base in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir.