KCR too seeks proof of surgical strikes

Hyderabad, Feb 14 (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has asked the Centre to show proof of surgical strikes.

Defending Congress president Rahul Gandhi in asking for proof of surgical strikes, he said he is also asking for the proof.

"There is nothing wrong in Mr Rahul Gandhi asking for proof of surgical strikes. What was wrong. I am asking now. Come on, let the government of India show (the proof)," he told a news conference here on Sunday night.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief said it was the responsibility of the Centre to show proof. "There are apprehensions among people. The BJP makes false propaganda. That's why people are asking for proof. And in democracy you are not a monarch or a king. Rahul Gandhi being in the capacity of a MP asked for proof. He has a right to ask. You reply or keep quiet," Rao said, flaying BJP for targeting those asking for proof of surgical strikes carried out in Pakistan in response to the Uri attack in 2016.

"It was definitely a political stunt. More than half of India believes that. There is popular apprehension in the country because what is happening is that whenever there is an election, there is some disturbance on the border and it is projected in a heavy manner," he said.

He once again condemned the offensive remarks made by the Assam Chief Minister against Rahul Gandhi for asking for the proof of surgical strike.

KCR, as Rao is popularly known, also said that the Indian Army should get the credit and not the BJP.

"BJP wants to use surgical strikes for political gains. Definitely Rahul Gandhi and I will question. The whole country will question," he said and slammed BJP for using the photographs of former Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat with BJP flags in Uttarakhand polls.

At his marathon news conference, the TRS chief launched a no-holds-barred attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for what he called taking the country on the path of disaster through his undemocratic approach and wrong policies in all sectors.

KCR also alleged that there is rampant corruption under BJP rule and the government itself has admitted that 33 economic offenders who looted lakhs of crores from banks fled the country.

Stating that the Rafale deal was an example of huge corruption, he asked the Modi government to explain how India paid $9.74 billion for 36 jets while Indonesia could buy 42 Rafale jets for $8 billion. KCR declared that he will go to the Supreme Court over the Rafale deal to stop the country's loot.

The TRS chief called Modi's support to Donald Trump in the United States elections a strategic mistake and alleged that this dealt a blow to India's image. He ridiculed the 'Howdy Modi' event in the US before US Presidential elections. KCR played a video clip of Modi's speech in which he raised the slogan of 'Ab ki baar, Trump sarkar'. "It was the presidential election of a country and that too US and not municipal elections of Ahmedabad," remarked KCR.