BJP hits back at Congress, says Modi strongest PM

NEW DELHI: Hitting back at the Congress over the beheading of two soldiers by Pakistani troops, the BJP today said the previous UPA government had tied the hands of the armed forces behind their backs while the saffron party has given India its strongest prime minister in Narendra Modi.

The BJP said the government will respond appropriately to the mutilation of the soldiers by the Pakistan Army while attacking the Congress after it blamed the Modi government for not having a national security policy.

"A party (Congress) that had not given a free hand to its prime minister and reduced him to a rubber stamp is giving gratuitous advice to a party (BJP) which has given the country its strongest prime minister.

"The Congress government had tied hands of armed forces behind their backs while the Modi government has given Pakistan the jitters by mounting surgical strikes against it and isolating it regionally and internationally," BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao told reporters.

Earlier, Congress spokesperson Kapil Sibal had attacked the BJP, saying it was "shameful" that the ruling party was organising 'Vijay Parv' to celebrate its victory in the Delhi municipal polls at a time when Pakistan killed two of "our soldiers in our territory".

He also took a jibe at the government, saying it should "take off bangles and do something".

Sibal was referring to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's offer to send bangles to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when Indian soldiers were beheaded by Pakistan during the UPA rule.

He also claimed there had been an increase in civilian and security personnel casualties during the 35 months of the BJP-led NDA rule so far as compared to the corresponding period during the Congress-led UPA government.