Army had done it during UPA regime too: AICC deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma

NEW DELHI: The Congress has termed the latest terror strike from across the border as continuing "audacity of Pakistan to engineer attack on India despite last week’s surgical strike" and called for more aggressive diplomacy, especially with China, to "fully isolate" Islamabad.

While continuing to back the Centre, the main Opposition Party, notably, also chose to assert that even during the UPA regime, the India Army had take actions similar to the surgical strikes. The Congress has also left it to the Centre to take "effective steps" to expose Pakistan’s continued denial of the surgical strike.

At the AICC official briefing, party’s deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharms virtually said even during the UPA regime, the Army had taken steps similar to the surgical strikes even though then government never felt the need to append "political ownership" on the Army actions. "The thinking that this the first time India Army has retaliated against a terror attack is not correct…Our Armed Force have always responded as per the need or provocation.

The details of the earlier actions are there with the Forces and Defense establishment. In the past these decisions were taken by the Army and they have had had the complete endorsement and support of then Government. Each situation is not similar. In the wisdom of the UPA regime, publically taking political ownership of such actions of the Army was not considered necessary", Sharma said.

On Pakistan’s continuing denial of the Indian surgical strikes across LoC last week, Shsrma said, "It t is for the Government, which has all the information, to expose Pakistan". Sharma said even after the surgical strike, the China blocking Indian effort to name Masood Azhar as a terrorist and the ongoing Pak-Iran naval exercise, showed Paksitan, though exposed, is not yet isolated. "Pakistan has been exposed but not isolated…It is imperative that India takes up the case of declaring Masood Azhar a terrorist with China. We are also concerned over the reports of a diversion of a tributary of th Brahmaputra. India needs a firm reassurance that China will fulfil the commitment in the MoU with India"